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The  Library  Assistant's 
Manual 


By  THEODORE  W.  KOCH 

Librarian,    University  of    Michigan 


Provisional  Edition 


LANSING,  MICHIGAN 

STATE  BOARD  OF  LIBRARY  COMMISSIONERS 
I9r3 


The  Library  Assistant's 
Manual 


By  THEODORE  W.   KOCH 

Librarian,    University   of    Michigan 


Provisional  Edition 

JJNIV.  or 

'•'<  L  IP"X>DK 


LANSING,  MICHIGAN 
STATE  BOARD  OF  LIBRARY  COMMISSIONERS 


Issued  on  the  occasion  of  the  61st  annual  meeting  of  the 
Michigan  State  Teachers'  Association,  Ann  Arbor,  October 
30— -November  1,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

I.  The  library  movement  in  the  United. States.  .  7-15 

II.  Organization  of  a  library " 16-19 

III.  Book  selection  and  buying 20-24 

IV.  Classification 25-32 

V.  Cataloging 33-38 

VI.  Reference  work  and  circulation 39-50 

VII.  The  binding  and  care  of  library  books 51-53 

VIII.  Work  with  children 54-58 

IX.  The  high  school  library 59-66 

X.  Suggested  readings  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Brit- 

annica .  .  67-78 


273613 


PREFACE. 

A  rural  visitor  at  the  Philadelphia  Library  Company  after 
gazing  with  open  mouth  at  the  well  filled  shelves  turned 
to  the  reference  assistant  and  said  in  a  confidential  tone, 
"Now,  isn't  there  some  book  that  has  it  all  in?"  He  was 
referred  to  the  bulky  and  voluminous  encyclopedias.  "No," 
he  demurred,  "I  mean  some  small  book." 

Librarians  are  frequently  asked  many  questions  as  to  the 
nature  of  their  work,  not  only  by  outsiders  but  by  people 
in  authority  who  ought  to  know  at  least  the  rudiments  of 
librarianship.  "A  library  is  a  place  where  people  seem  to 
be  doing  the  greatest  amount  of  useless  work."  is  a  remark 
(probably  spurious)  attributed  to  one  visitor  to  Harvard 
University  Library.  Others  seem  to  think  that  library 
assistants  have  infinite  leisure  to  read  all  the  books  under 
their  charge.  There  is  apparently  a  need  for  "some  small 
book"  on  the  general  subject  of  library  work.  It  is  hoped 
that  the  free  distribution  of  the  present  booklet  by  the 
Michigan  State  Board  of  Library  Commissioners  will  get 
it  into  the  hands  of  untrained  assistants  and  library  appren- 
tices who  are  in  need  of  a  brief  introduction  to  library  work. 

The  sections  devoted  to  classification,  cataloging  and 
library  work  with  children  are  based  on  lectures  before 
the  University  of  Michigan  Summer  Library  School  by 
Mr.  F.  P.  Jordan,  Miss  Esther  A.  Smith  and  Miss  Edna 
Whiteman  respectively.  The  section  on  the  high  school 
library  appeared  originally  in  a  composite  volume  on  High 
School  Education  published  by  Charles  Scribner  and  Sons 
and  is  here  reprinted  with  their  permission.  The  "Suggested 
readings  for  library  assistants  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Britan- 
nica"  appeared  in  the  Library  Journal  for  February,  1912. 

Theodore  W.  Koch. 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 
June,  1913. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  LIBRARY  MOVEMENT  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 

The  forerunner  of  the  American  public  library  of  today 
is  found  in  the  subscription  or  stock  company  libraries 
of  Philadelphia,  Boston  and  other  cities.  The  oldest  of 
these  is  the  Philadelphia  Library  Company,  founded  in 
1731  by  Benjamin  Franklin  who  later  referred  to  it  as 
"the  mother  of  all  subscription  libraries  in  America." 
The  Rev.  Jacob  Duche,  a  director  of  the  Library  Company, 
wrote  in  1774:  "Literary  accomplishments  here  meet  with 
deserved  applause.  But  such  is  the  taste  for  books  that 
almost  every  man  is  a  reader."  The  Library  Company's 
authority  on  book  selection  was  James  Logan  (the  friend 
of  William  Penn)  who  was  esteemed  "to  be  a  gentleman 
of  universal  learning  and  the  best  judge  of  books  in  these 
parts."  In  1783  the  Library  Committee  instructed  its 
London  agent  that  "though  not  averse  to  mingling  the 
dulce  with  the  utile,  they  did  not  care  to  have  him  buy 
any  more  novels." 

In  1869  the  Library  Company  was  made  the  beneficiary 
under  the  will  of  Dr.  James  Rush,  who  left  $1,500,000  to 
establish  the  Ridgeway  Branch.  On  account  of  the  con- 
ditions attached  to  the  bequest,  the  gift  was  accepted  by  a 
bare  majority  of  the  stockholders.  Among  other  restric- 
tions, the  will  contained  the  following  clause:  "Let  the 
library  not  keep  cushioned  seats  for  time-wasting  and 
lounging  readers,  nor  places  for  every-day  novels,  mind- 
tainting  reviews,  controversial  politics,  scribblings  of  poetry 
and  prose,  biographies  of  unknown  names,  nor  for  those 
teachers  of  disjointed  thinking,  the  daily  newspapers." 
The  provisions  of  the  will  were  strictly  carried  out  and 
today  the  Ridgeway  Library  stands  as  a  storehouse  of  the 
literature  of  the  past,  a  monument  to  the  donor  and  an 
evidence  of  the  change  that  has  come  over  the  world  in 
its  conception  of  the  function  of  the  library. 


Boston  Athenaeum.-— Like  the  Philadelphia  Library  Com- 
pany, the  Boston  Athenaeum  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  group 
of  men  who  had  in  common  an  interest  in  books.  In  May 
1806,  the  Anthology  Society,  which  had  been  editing  the 
"Monthly  Anthology  and  Boston  review,"  established  a 
reading  room,  the  object  of  which  was  to  afford  subscribers 
a  meeting  place  furnished  with  the  principal  American 
and  European  periodicals.  The  annual  subscription  was 
placed  at  ten  dollars,  which  was  not  more  than  the  cost 
of  a  single  daily  paper.  The  organization  prospered  and 
by  1827  the  treasurer's  books  showed  property  valued  at 
more  than  $100,000.  Two  years  later  the  library  admin- 
istration faced  a  new  problem:  a  woman  applied  for  ad- 
mission to  the  library.  Having  no  precedent  to  guide  him, 
the  librarian  allowed  the  applicant  free  access  to  the  shelves. 
She  was  Hannah  Adams,  who  wrote  "A  view  of  religious 
opinions,"  a  "History  of  New  England,"  and  "The  history 
of  the  Jews."  The  next  woman  to  ask  for  admission  to 
the  treasures  of  the  Athenaeum  was  Mrs.  Lvdia  Maria 
Child,  (1802-1880),  author  of  "The  rebels,"  "The  freedman's 
books,"  "Hobomok,"  etc.,  but  her  ticket  of  admission  was 
shortly  revoked  "lest  the  privilege  cause  future  embarrass- 
ment." As  late  as  1855  Charles  Folsom  entered  a  protest 
against  women  having  access  to  "the  corrupter  portions 
of  polite  literature." 

Boston  Public  Library.- — In  1825  a  plan  was  proposed 
whereby  all  the  libraries  in  Boston  should  be  united  under 
one  roof.  Later,  a  Frenchman  by  name  of  Vattemare, 
caused  to  be  introduced  into  Congress  a  measure  which  was 
to  build  up  great  libraries  through  international  exchanges. 
A  public  meeting  was  held  in  Boston  but  a  committee  of 
the  Boston  Athenaeum  opposed  the  scheme  and  it  was 
dropped.  However,  in  return  for  some  books  forwarded 
through  Vattemare  to  the  Municipal  Council  of  Paris,  the 
Mayor  of  Boston  received  in  1843  about  fifty  volumes, 
which  in  reality  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  Boston  Public 
Library. 

In  1847  the  Boston  City  Council  appointed  a  joint  com- 
mittee on  a  library.  The  next  year  a  special  act  was  passed 
by  the  Massachusetts  State  Legislature  authorizing  the 
city  of  Boston  to  found  and  maintain  a  library.  Efforts 
were  made  to  effect  a  union  of  interests  with  the  Boston 
Athenaeum,  but  they  failed.  In  1849  the  first  books  were 


presented  by  the  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  and  in  the 
following  year  J.  P.  Bigelow,  then  Mayor  of  the  city,  turned 
over  to  a  library  fund  the  sum  of  $1,000  which  had  been 
presented  to  him  as  a  personal  testimony.  Edward  Everett 
presented  1,000  United  States  documents,  and  Edward 
Capen  was  appointed  librarian  by  the  Mayor.  George 
Ticknor,  a  member  of  the  Board,  helped  to  draw  up  a 
preliminary  report  outlining  the  ideals  for  the  new  civic 
institution.  The  library  was  not  to  be  a  "mere  resort  of 
professed  scholars." 

The  key  note  of  the  whole  public  library  movement  in 
America  was  struck  by  Ticknor  when  in  1851  he  wrote  of 
his  hopes  for  the  new  library  proposed  for  Boston:  "I 
would  establish  a  library  which  differs  from  all  free  libraries 
yet  attempted;  I. mean,  one  in  which  any  popular  books, 
tending  to  moral  and  intellectual  improvement,  shall  be  fur- 
nished in  such  numbers  of  copies  that  many  persons  can 
be  reading  the  same  book  at  the  same  time;  in  short,  that 
not  only  the  best  books  of  all  sorts,  but  the  pleasant  litera- 
ture of  the  day,  shall  be  made  accessible  .to  the  whole  people 
when  they  most  care  for  it,  that  is,  when  it  is  fresh  and  new." 

A  timely  friend  was  found  in  Joshua  Bates,  who  gave 
more  than  $50,000  for  the  purchase  of  books,  saying  that 
he  thought  it  was  desirable  to  render  the  public  library 
at  once  as  useful  as  possible  by  providing  it  with  a  large 
collection  of  books  in  many  departments  of  knowledge. 

Thus  the  aim  of  the  founders  was  quickly  realized,  it 
having  been  their  professed  intention  to  make  the  library 
what  no  other  library  in  the  world  had  either  attempted 
or  desired  to  become,  "a  powerful  and  direct  means  for 
the  intellectual  and  moral  advancement  of  a  whole  people 
without  distinction  of  class  or  condition."  The  Boston 
Public  Library  was  the  pioneer  of  the  large  public  libraries 
in  America  and  as  such  has  long  enjoyed  a  prominence 
which  in  a  way  has  resulted  in  its  differentiation  from 
other  large  municipal  institutions. 

Astor  Library. — John  Jacob  Astor,  who  came  to  this 
country  in  1783,  as  a  young  man  of  20,  independent 
of  capital,  family  connections  or  influence,  became  the 
richest  man  of  his  day  in  the  United  States,  and  wished  to 
show  his  feelings  of  gratitude  towards  the  city  of  New 
York,  in  which  he  had  lived  so  long  and  prospered.  When 
he  consulted  with  his  friends,  Fitz  Green  Halleck  and 


Washington  Irving  among  others,  as  to  the  object  to  which 
his  liberality  should  be  applied,  the  plan  of  building  a 
public  library  was  the  most  approved  and  a  decision  was 
promptly  made  in  favor  of  it.  Four  hundred  thousand 
dollars  was  left  for  this  purpose.  The  site  chosen  for  the 
new  Astor  Library  was  in  Lafayette  Place,  in  which  street 
lived  Mr.  William  B.  Astor,  a  son  of  the  donor.  Washington 
Irving  was  the  first  president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
Joseph  G.  Cogswell  was  the  first  librarian.  According  to 
John  Hill  Burton  in  the  "Book  hunter,"  Mr.  Cogswell 
"spent  some  years  in  Europe  with  Mr.  Astor 's  princely 
endowment  in  his  pocket,  and  showed  himself  a  judicious, 
active  and  formidable  sportsman  in  the  book-hunting 
world.  Whenever  from  private  collections  or  the  breaking 
up  of  public  institutions,  rarities  got  abroad  in  the  open 
market,  the  collectors  of  the  old  world  found  that  they 
had  a  resolute  competitor  to  deal  with,  almost,  it  might 
be  said,  a  desperate  one,  since  he  was,  in  a  manner,  the 
representative  of  a  nation  using  powerful,  efforts  to  get 
a  share  of  the  library  treasures  of  the  old  wrorld.  I  know 
that  in  the  instance  of  the  Astor  Library  the  selections 
of  the  books  have  been  made  with  great  judgment  and 
that  after  the  boundaries  of  the  common  crowded  markets 
were  passed  and  individual  rarities  had  to  be  stalked  in 
distant  hunting  grounds,  innate  literary  value  was  still 
held  as  an  object  more  important  than  mere  abstract  rarity, 
and,  as  the  more  worthy  quality  of  the  two,  that  on  which 
the  buying  power  available  to  the  emissary  was  brought 
to  bear."  Cogswell  was  essentially  a  bibliophile.  He 
loved  books  "with  an  eager  and  grasping  love,"  said  Donald 
G.  Mitchell.  To  his  fruitful  labor  was  due  the  splendid 
growth  of  the  Astor  collections.  Cogswell  presented  to 
the  Library  his  own  collection  of  bibliographical  literature, 
and  gave  the  institution  a  reputation  for  wealth  in  this 
field.  "So  well  has  the  impress  thus  imparted  been  main- 
tained," said  Dr.  Richard  Garnett,  "that  the  Astor  Library 
is  said  to  contain  hardly  any  light  and  frivolous  books." 
Both  the  son  and  grandson  of  the  founder,  as  well  as  other 
members  of  the  Astor  family,  added  generously  to  the 
wealth  of  the  institution  so  that  today  the  total  endowment 
is  estimated  at  over  two  million  dollars.  With  its  increase 
in  resources  came  an  increase  in  its  use.  "I  range  daily 
in  the  alcoves  of  the  Astor,  more  charming  than  the  gardens 

10 


of  Boccaccio,  and  each  hour  a  Decameron,"  wrote  Charles 
Sumner  to  Theodore  Parker.  Among  the  constant  users 
was  Horace  Greeley,  who  had  a  special  table  reserved  for 
himself. 

Lenox  Library. — James  Lenox,  a  shy  recluse,  a  bachelor, 
born  to  a  wealthy  inheritance,  found  his  chief  joy  in  the 
collecting  of  books,  manuscripts,  and  objets  d'art.  He  first 
collected  early  editions  of  the  Bible  in  all  languages;  then 
Americana,  including  the  original  editions  of  the  works 
of  the  great  travelers  and  discoverers.  John  Bunyan  and 
Milton  received  much  attention  from  Mr.  Lenox,  and  he 
succeeded  in  garnering  a  vast  array  of  editions  of  those 
two  authors.  "This  mode  of  collecting  has  certainly  its 
advantages,"  said  Henry  Stevens,  "but  it  can  hardly  be 
denied  that  it  is  attended  with  serious  disadvantages.  The 
result  of  all  Mr.  Lenox's  enormous  study  and  labor,  to 
say  nothing  of  his  vast  expenditures,  it  must  be  confessed, 
is  a  patchy  library  as  he  left  it.  His  favorite  subjects  and 
authors  he  rendered  astonishingly  rich,  but  the  subjects 
and  authors  he  neglected  at  the  same  time  are  also  astonish- 
ingly numerous."  In  1870  Mr.  Lenox  presented  the  collec- 
tion to  the  city  of  New  York,  together  with  a  block  on  Fifth 
Avenue  and  a  sufficient  fund  to  erect  a  library  building. 

Tilden  Bequest. — Samuel  J.  Tilden  was  not,  according 
to  his  biographer,  John  Bigelow,  a  book  collector  in  the 
ordinary  sense  of  the  term.  "Mr.  Tilden  had  a  very  fas- 
tidious taste  for  books,  which  he  indulged  without  much 
regard  to  expense.  He  bought  books  for  his  immediate 
use  and  enjoyment,  and  apparently  with  no  thought  of 
collecting  a  library  that  should  be  complete  in  any  depart- 
ment." For  the  purpose  of  establishing  and  maintaining 
a  free  library  and  reading  room  in  the  city  of  New  York 
he  established  the  "Tilden  Trust,"  to  which  he  bequeathed 
the  sum  of  nearly  four  million  dollars.  By  long  litigation 
it  was  reduced  about  one-half.  The  trustees  were  anxious 
to  apply  this  fund  in  a  way  that  should  prove  most  advant- 
ageous to  the  people  of  New  York  City  and  at  the  same 
time  strictly  conform  to  the  wishes  of  the  testator.  The 
endowment  was  accordingly  offered  to  the  Municipal 
Building  Committee  of  the  city  in  1893,  to  be  devoted  to 
the  construction  of  a  public  library  in  a  new  City  Hall, 
at  that  time  planned  for  Bryant  Park.  This  plan  had  to 
be  given  up  the  next  year  when  the  act  authorizing  the 

11 


removal  of  the  old  City  Hall  was  repealed,  but  the  expecta- 
tions of  the  testator  were  carried  out  later  by  merging 
the  Tilden  Trust  with  the  Astor  and  Lenox  bequests  into 
one  grand  "New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox  and 
Tilden  Foundations."  This  consolidation  was  effected  on 
May  23,  1895,  when  the  Board  of  Trustees,  composed  of 
seven  members  from  each  of  the  three  foundations,  pro- 
ceeded to  plan  the  organization  of  a  comprehensive  library 
system.  An  appeal  to  the  municipal  authorities  was  made 
in  1896  stating  that  if  the  city  would  furnish  a  proper  site 
and"  provide  the  money  to  locate  thereon  a  building  suit- 
able for  the  purposes  of  the  New  York  Public  Library, 
then  the  library  through  the  sale  of  its  present  sites,  could 
obtain  such  an  addition  to  its  funds  as  would  justify  it  in 
providing  for  the  circulation  of  the  books  from  this  main 
building.  The  result  was  that  the  library  was  granted 
the  old  reservoir  ground  on  Fifth  Avenue,  between  40th  and 
42nd  Streets,  and  the  trustees  were  enabled  to  begin  planning 
for  the  erection  of  the  splendid  fireproof  structure,  event- 
ually opened  to  the  public  in  1911. 

New  York  Public  Library. — The  union  of  these  three 
corporations  to  form  a  single  library  worthy  of  the  great 
American  metropolis  was  very  justly  characterized  by  Law- 
rence Hutton  as  "one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the 
whole  history  of  the  Island  of  Manhattan."  New  York 
had  long  labored  under  the  disadvantage  of  having  no 
public  library  from  which  books  could  be  freely  borrowed 
by  her  citizens.  Dr.  Cogswell  once  remarked  that  a  free 
circulating  library  in  New  York  was  impossible  and  that 
in  five  years  any  collection  of  books  made  for  that  purpose 
would  be  scattered  forever  beyond  hope  of  recovery.  He 
here  showed  the  distrust  of  the  book-collector  and  the 
attitude  of  the  old  style  librarian  towards  the  books  en- 
trusted to  his  care. 

The  Astor  and  the  Lenox  Libraries  were  for  reference 
use  only,  and  were  never  open  in  the  evenings  or  on  holidays . 
Through  the  great  generosity  of  Andrew  Carnegie  the 
New  York  Public  Library  is  able  to  operate  an  extensive 
series  of  branches,  primarily  intended  for  the  purposes 
of  circulating  books  in  the  surrounding  neighborhoods. 
"The  main  purpose  of  the  library  is  educational,"  said 
the  late  Dr.  J.  S.  Billings.  "It  is  also  to  furnish  the  means 
of  recreation  and  amusement  to  large  numbers  of  readers. 

12 


A  great  library  like  this  must  be  omniverous.  It  must 
have  rare  and  costly  books,  indispensable  to  scholars,  and 
also  the  ephemeral  pamphlets  of  the  day  which  have  no 
commercial  value  when  they  appear  but  eventually  become 
historical  documents.  The  library  should  be  an  encyclo- 
pedia always  kept  up  to  date." 

The  Spread  of  Public  Libraries. — From  the  above  sketches 
some  idea  can  be  gained  as  to  how  recent  is  the  development 
of  the  library  into  the  tax-supported  institution  we  know 
to-day.  The  last  generation  has  witnessed  the  spread  of 
the  public  library  movement  westward  at  such  a  rate  that 
many  of  the  most  striking  illustrations  of  the  usefulness 
of  the.  modern  library  are  to  be  gathered  from  the  newer 
libraries  of  the  western  states.  Within  the  last  two  decades 
the  public  library  has  gained  strong  allies  in  such  new 
organizations  as  state  library  commissions,  inter-state 
library  associations,  and  library  training  schools.  The 
library  schools  have  inculcated  into  their  students  the 
body  of  America's  library  doctrine  which  has  grown  up 
with  the  movement  in  this  country.  The  association 
meetings  have  been  helpful  in  providing  for  the  discussion 
of  mooted  topics  and  giving  librarianship  a  unity  which 
it  could  not  otherwise  have  gained. 

American  Library  Association. — Organized  in  1876  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  libraries;  it  had  the  Library 
Journal  as  its  official  organ  for  many  years,  but  now 
publishes  its  own  Bulletin  containing  announcements  and 
proceedings  of  the  annual  meeting.  The  Association  aims 
to  effect  needed  legislation  and  reforms  which  could  not 
be  brought  about  by  individual  effort;  to  improve  library 
administration  and  lessen  the  labor  and  expense  of  it;  to 
utilize  the  combined  experience  of  the  profession,  to  promote 
esprit  de  corps  among  library  workers  and  to  advance  the 
common  interests  of  trustees,  librarians  and  assistants. 
Various  sections  have  been  organized:  the  college  and 
reference  section,  catalog  section,  trustees'  section,  library 
work  with  children  and  state  library  commissions.  It  has 
a  publishing  board  of  five  members,  appointed  by  the 
executive  board,  the  aim  of  which  is  to  secure  and  prepare 
publications,  catalogs,  indexes  and  other  bibliographic  and 
library  aids.  The  publications  are  a  great  help  to  libraries 
and  references  are  made  to  a  number  of  them  throughout 
this  manual.  The  headquarters  of  the  Association  are 

13 


located  on  the  upper  floor  of  the  Chicago  Public  Library. 
Address:  78  E.  Washington  St. 

State  Library  Commissions. — Commissions  have  been 
established  in  thirty  three  states  with  the  view  of  advancing 
the  library  interests  of  the  state.  They  aim  not  only  to 
promote  the  efficiency  of  the  libraries  already  existing  but 
also  to  help  in  the  establishing  of  new  ones.  They  collect 
statistics  of  libraries  throughout  the  state  and  so  are  able 
to  help  the  backward  ones  by  showing  what  is  being  done 
in  the  more  active  communities.  Some  commissions  con- 
duct summer  library  schools  where  the  untrained  assistants 
from  the  smaller  libraries  can  get  valuable  instruction. 
Others  have  institutes  and  district  meetings  at  which,  topics 
of  interest  to  the  smaller  libraries  are  discussed.  Organizers 
are  sent  to  such  libraries  as  are  in  need  of  reorganization, 
recataloging  or  professional  help  along  one  line  or  another. 
In  some  states  the  commission  takes  charge  of  the  traveling 
libraries,  which  are  sent  to  clubs,  granges  and  the  smaller 
libraries.  The  sending  of  books  to  the  blind  falls  within 
the  province  of  the  library  commissions  in  certain  states. 
Some  are  authorized  to  give  direct  financial  aid  to  the 
smaller  struggling  libraries.  Nearly  all  the  commissions 
publish  bulletins,  circulars  of  information,  library  laws, 
selected  lists  of  helpful  books,  and  occasional  leaflets. 

Traveling  Libraries. — In  order  to  carry  the  advantages 
of  the  public  library  system  to  the  residents  of  rural  districts 
and  villages,  a  system  of  traveling  libraries  has  been  intro- 
duced into  most  of  the  states.  New  York  was  the  first 
to  adopt  this  system,  which  it  did  in  1892  at  the  instance 
of  Melvil  Dewey,  then  State  Librarian.  The  plan  was 
to  send  a  number  of  small  libraries,  each  containing  one 
hundred  carefully  selected  volumes,  which  were  lent  for 
six  months  at  a  time  to  "stations"  from  which  requests 
had  been  received.  In  1895  Michigan  and  Iowa  introduced 
the  system  as  a  part  of  the  work  of  their  state  libraries 
and  in  the  following  year  a  traveling  library  system  for 
one  county  was  established  through  private  generosity. 
The  Wisconsin  Free  Library  Commission  soon  took  it  up 
and  developed  it  for  the  whole  state.  In  some  states  where 
the  traveling  libraries  have  not  been  fostered  by  state  aid, 
the  work  has  been  carried  on  by  the  women's  clubs,  as 
for  example  in  Colorado. 

In   Michigan   application  for  traveling  libraries   can   be 

14 


made  by  study  clubs,  Epworth  leagues,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and 
Y.  W.  C.  A.,  Sunday  schools,  farmers'  clubs,  granges, 
reading  circles,  etc.  The  titles  are  selected  from  printed 
finding  lists,  and  the  books  go  by  freight  at  the  expense 
of  the  borrower.  If  books  on  a  special  topic  are  desired, 
the  request  should  be  filed  by  May  1st  with  the  State  Li- 
brarian in  order  to  receive  them  in  the  fall.  The  State 
Library  has  also  a  loan  collection  of  pictures,  reproductions 
of  the  best  examples  of  ancient  and  modern  art.  The 
unframed  pictures  are  loaned  to  art  clubs,  while  the  framed 
ones  are  loaned  to  schools  to  be  kept  on  their  walls  from 
three  to  six  months. 


15 


CHAPTER  IT. 
ORGANIZATION  OF  A  LIBRARY. 

The  organization  of  the  average  library  consists  of  the 
following  component  parts: 

1.  Board  of  Trustees. — The  main  function  of  the  board 
of  trustees  is  to  look  after  the  financial  interests  of  the 
library,  to  see  that  the  buildings  and  equipment  are  properly 
cared  for,  and  to  decide  broad  questions  of  policy.     Trustees 
should  be  (but  are  not  always)  elected  from  the  elite  of  the 
community.     It  is  expected  that  in  them  will  be  found  a 
genuine  culture,  an  appreciation  of  things  pertaining  to  the 
arts  and  sciences,  combined  with  the  advantages  of  educa- 
tion, travel  and  sufficient  leisure  to  look  after  public  inter- 
ests.    "Cultivated  men,"  says  Edward  Edwards,  "familiar 
with  books  from  childhood,  have  usually  a  very  inadequate 
perception  of  the  toil  and  thought  which  have  to  be  given 
to  the  good  arrangement,  the  accurate  cataloging,  and  the 
ready  service  of  a  library.     What,  then,  is  to  be  expected 
if  a  dominant  share  in  the  management  of  a  library  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  men  with  just  enough  of  elementary 
education  to  bring  into  broad  daylight  the  intensest  ignor- 
ance, in  union  with  the  most  stolid  self-conceit?"     "A  little 
bookishness    in    a    committeeman,"    said    Justin    Winsor, 
"may  be  as  dangerous  as  a  sip  from  the  poet's  Pierian  spring, 
particularly  if  there  is  no  deeper  learning  in  any  of  his 
associates.     He  knows  just  enough  of  books  not  to  know 
that  he  knows  nothing  of  libraries." 

2.  The  Librarian. — "A  librarian,"  said  Henry  Bradshaw, 
"is  one  who  earns  his  living  by  attending  to  the  wants  of 
those  for  whose  use  the  library  under  his  charge  exists, 
his  prime  duty  being,  in  the  widest  possible  sense  of  the 
phrase,  to  save  the  time  of  those  who  seek  his  services." 
The  librarian  has  been  variously  compared  to  the  commis- 
sariat in  the  republic  of  letters,  whose  business  is  not  to 
fight  himself  but   to   put   others   in   fighting   trim, — or   to 
the  host  at  the  banquet  of  knowledge  who  is  assiduous  in 
securing  the  comfort  of  the  guests  and  in  placing  before 

16 


each  one  just  the  kind  of  food  he  likes  and  requires.  He 
knows  that  what  is  one  man's  meat  is  another  man's  poison. 
Enthusiasm  for  the  work  is  a  prime  requisite  in  the  librarian. 
Even  a  good  staff  cannot  overcome  the  deadening  influence 
of  daily  contact  with  a  chief  lacking  in  enthusiasm. 

To  the  librarian  should  be  left  the  details  of  administra- 
tion. The  librarian  is  the  executive  officer  of  the  board  of 
trustees  and  the  latter,  if  wise,  will  look  to  the  librarian 
for  getting  the  results  desired  and  will  allow  that  officer 
as  free  a  hand  as  possible.  If  the  librarian  is  not  capable 
of  administering  the  library,  or  worthy  of  the  fullest  confi- 
dence, the  sooner  one  is  secured  who  measures  up  to  this 
standard  the  better. 

3.  The  Library  Staff.— The  duties  of  the  staff  vary 
with  the  size  of  the  library.  In  the  smallest  libraries  the 
librarian  may  be  the  only  one  engaged  in  the  actual  work 
of  the  library,  but  in  such  cases  the  library  hours  must  be 
restricted  to  such  as  one  person  can  take  care  of.  The  next 
step  in  growth  is  to  have  some  one  relieve  the  librarian  at 
the  desk  and  to  do  the  more  clerical  work.  Next  come 
special  assistants  to  look  after  special  tasks  like  cataloging 
and  classifying,  desk  work  and  so  on.  The  staff,  whether 
large  or  small,  should  consider  itself  responsible  to  the 
librarian  and  should  not,  except  in  extraordinary  cases, 
go  directly  to  the  board  of  trustees  with  petitions.  The 
librarian  should  always  be  the  spokesman  for  the  staff. 
Going  over  his  head  indicates  a  lack  of  sympathy  and 
cooperation  between  the  librarian  and  staff  that  argues 
badly  for  the  welfare  of  the  institution. 

Qualifications  for  Library  Work. — The  best  preparation 
for  library  work  is  a  thorough,  systematic  general  education. 
To  this  should  be  added  a  special  preparation  secured 
either  through  apprenticeship,  a  training  class,  or  a  regular 
library  school.  Different  positions  call  for  different  qualities 
in  assistants  but  library  service  in  general  demands  tact, 
perseverance,  adaptability,  habits  of  precision  and  ac- 
curacy, with  a  fair  amount  of  speed,  ability  to  distinguish 
between  essentials  and  non-essentials,  and  a  strong  desire 
to  be  of  service.  A  certain  familiarity  with  books  and 
famous  characters  in  history  and  in  fiction  is  expected  of 
every  one  in  a  library.  Personal  neatness,  good  temper, 
and  a  sense  of  humor  are  valuable  assets  in  this  as  in  other 
lines  of  work.  No  one  will  succeed  in  librarv  work  who 


17 


goes  into  it  merely  for  the  money  that  can  be  got  out  of  it. 

Loyalty  to  the  institution  and  its  officers  is  essential  to 
efficient  service.  If  the  assistant  cannot  feel  this  sense  of 
loyalty,  the  sooner  a  new  position  is  secured,  the  better 
for  all  concerned. 

Dignity,  self-possession,  and  self-reliance  are  valuable 
qualities  in  any  part  of  the  library,  but  are  especially  needed 
by  assistants  at  the  reference  desk. 

Qualities  that  unfit  one  for  library  work  in  general  are 
physical  weakness,  deformity,  poor  memory,  a  discontented 
disposition,  egotism,  a  lack  of  system  in  one's  method  of 
work,  and  inability  or  unwillingness  to  take  responsibilities, 
a  tendency  to  theorize,  criticise,  or  gossip,  inability  to  mind 
one's  own  business,  fussiness,  and  long-windedness. 

One  librarian  advocates  listing  the  virtues  and  personal 
qualities  of  the  staff  and  apprentices  by  having  a  question- 
naire like  the  following  filled  out  for  each  assistant : 

Has  she  tact? 

Has  she  enthusiasm? 

Has  she  method  and  system? 

Is  she  punctual? 

Is  she  neat? 

Is  she  kind? 

Is  she  a  good  disciplinarian? 

Is  she  sympathetic? 

Is  she  quick? 

Is  she  willing  to  wear  rubber  heels? 

Is  she  a  good  worker? 

Is  she  accurate? 

Has  she  a  pleasing  personality? 

Has  she  a  sense  of  responsibility? 

Is  she  patient? 

Is  she  courteous? 

Has  she  self  control? 

Is  she  cheerful? 

Has  she  a  knowledge  of  books? 

Are  her  vibrations  pleasant? 

Has  she  executive  ability? 

Can  she  speak  French,  German,  Spanish,  Italian,  Yiddish? 

Has  she  social  qualifications? 

Can  she  keep  a  petty  cash  account? 

What  are  her  faults? 

18 


Mr.  Herbert  Putnam,  Librarian-  of  Congress,  gives  the 
following  advice  to  aspirants  for  library  positions: 

"First,  secure  the  best  possible  general  education,  in- 
cluding, if  possible,  a  college  course  or  its  equivalent;  second, 
acquire  a  reading  knowledge  of  at  least  French  and  German; 
third,  add  to  this  a  training  in  a  library  school;  fourth,  if 
a  choice  must  be  made  between  the  special  training  in  a 
library  school  and  a  general  course  in  a  college,  choose  the 
general  course,  but  make  every  effort  to  supplement  this 
by  the  special  course  if  only  for  a  brief  period;  fifth,  if  an 
opportunity  occur  for  foreign  travel,  utilize  it;  sixth,  if  you 
have  not  been  able  to  contrive  either  a  thorough  general 
education  or  special  training,  your  best  opportunities  in 
library  work  will  be  in  a  small  library  where  your  personal 
characteristics  may  be  such  as  to  offset  these  other  deficien- 
cies; seventh,  without  at  least  a  fair  reading  knowledge  of 
French  and  German  you  cannot  progress  beyond  the  most 
subordinate  positions  in  a  large  library." 


CHAPTER  III. 
BOOK  SELECTION  AND  BUYING. 

Book  Selection. — Book  selection  makes  the  greatest  de- 
mand on  the  knowledge  and  administrative  judgment  of 
librarians  and  is  the  question  that  produces  the  most  friction 
between  librarians  and  library  committees.  If  the  trustees 
define  the  general  policy  of  the  library,  determine  the  amount 
to  be  expended  on  books,  and  approve  purchases  out  of  the 
ordinary  run,  the  librarian  should  be  considered  as  the  one 
person  best  posted  on  the  needs  of  the  library,  and  as  pur- 
chasing agent  for  the  institution  should  be  allowed  to  buy 
where  he  can  do  so  to  the  best  advantage.  Of  course  the 
problem  is  quite  different  in  an  academic  library  from  what 
it  is  in  a  public  library.  Especially  in  the  latter  should 
the  librarian  be  granted  the  utmost  freedom  in  the  selection 
of  the  general  run  of  books. 

"We  are  often  asked  who  selects  the  books  for  purchase 
and  how  this  is  done,"  says  Dr.  A.  E.  Bostwick  in  the 
annual  report  of  the  St.  Louis  Public  Library  for  1911-12. 
"About  10,000  volumes  are  issued  from  American  presses 
yearly,  not  to  mention  those  of  England  and  other  European 
countries.  Of  these  we  can  purchase  only  about  2,000 
titles.  Of  the  remainder  some  are  eliminated  by  their 
heavy  cost,  as  in  the  case  of  editions  de  luxe  and  most 
works  intended  for  wealthy  collectors;  some  because  of 
their  class,  such  as  technical  works  on  law  and  medicine, 
which  we  are  leaving  to  the  special  local  libraries  devoted 
to  these  subjects;  and  some  because  they  are  obviously 
below  standard,  being  either  untrustworthy,  trivial  or 
objectionable.  There  remains  a  very  considerable  number, 
any  one  of  which  we  might  purchase  but  only  a  certain 
proportion  of  which  we  can  buy  with  the  funds  at  our 
disposal.  From  these  we  try  to  select  the  best,  judging 
from  the  standpoint  of  a  high-grade  public  library.  Some 
of  the  considerations  that  affect  our  decision  are,  first,  public 
demand,  to  which  we  always  give  heed  unless  it  is  obviously 
uninformed ;  secondly,  a  desire  to  strengthen  our  collection 


in  weak  points;  and  thirdly,  expert  advice,  oral  or  printed, 
volunteered  or  specially  asked.  Here  in  St.  Louis,  we  are 
profiting  by  the  services  of  numerous  experts  in  special 
subjects,  which  are  freely  given  as  a  public  service,  and 
we  scan  carefully  every  bit  of  expert  testimony  regarding 
the  availability  of  books  contained  in  the  bulletins  of  other 
libraries  and  in  other  current  lists  and  bibliographies. 
Trade  lists  and  catalogues  of  all  kinds  are  checked  up  with 
our  own  to  see  what  we  lack,  and  the  result  is  the  assemblage 
of  a  list  of  wants  far  larger  than  we  can  purchase.  The 
final  selection  from  these  is  apt  to  leave  behind  some  things 
that  we  ought  to  buy,  but  it  is  unlikely  to  include  anything 
that  could  well  have  been  left  out,  considering  our  special 
conditions  and  needs.  The  final  word  in  selection  rests 
with  a  committee  of  the  "Board;  but  for  ordinary  current 
purchases,  and  unless  some  point  involving  the  larger  policies 
of  selection  is  to  be  settled,  this  committee  usually  allows 
the  librarian  to  exercise  his  own  judgment.  Besides  the 
sources  of  selection  already  mentioned,  books  on  approval 
are  received  in  considerable  quantities,  •sometimes  being 
sent  voluntarily  by  dealers  or  individuals,  .  sometimes  re- 
quested by  the  library." 

The  librarian  must  develop  a  sense  of  proportion  and 
beware  of  the  library  patron  with  a  hobby,  and  of  the 
trustee  who  is  interested  in  building  up  only  one  side  of 
the  library,  and  of  the  scholar  who  thinks  that  "only  solid 
reading  for  the  immortal  mind  should  be  placed  before 
old  and  young."  In  buying  for  an  average  public  library 
the  aim  should  be  to  choose  general  treatises  rather  than 
those  covering  only  special  phases  or  special  subjects.  The 
special  treatises  would  be  the  more  desirable  for  a  university 
library,  where  they  would  be  in  demand  both,  by  faculty 
and  students,  as  authorities  on  detailed  points,  as  aids  or 
as  sources  in  further  investigation. 

Too  much  money  should  not  be  locked  up  in  expensive 
volumes  that  will  be  seldom  used.  The  librarian  should 
estimate  the  average  cost  of  his  books  per  volume  and, 
except  in  the  case  of  reference  books,  should  not  go  too 
far  beyond  this  average  cost.  He  should  avoid  partisan- 
ship and  develop  catholicity  of  taste  and  breadth  of  sym- 
pathy. He  should  try  to  have  something  on  his  shelves 
for  every  patron  in  town,  real  or  potential,  but  should  not 
allow  the  library  to  be  drawn  into  any  sectarian  propagandist 

21 


movement.  He  should  avoid  controversial  works,  sensa- 
tionalism and  the  latest  fad,  and  put  off  the  purchase  of  the 
book  of  the  hour  until  he  feels  fairly  sure  that  the  demand 
for  it  will  not  die  within  the  hour. 

The  efficient  librarian  does  not  think  too  much  of  the 
sum  total  of  accessions,  but  is  mindful  of  the  fact  that  it  is 
quality  not  quantity  that  counts.  "It  doesn't  matter  how 
many  but  how  good  books  you  have."  This  was  said  by 
Seneca,  but  the  same  truth  has  been  stated  by  many  modern 
librarians.  "  I  should  as  soon  tell  how  many  tons  the  books 
in  the  Astor  Library  weigh  as  to  tell  how  many  volumes  there 
are,"  was  a  sage  remark  of  Dr.  Joseph  G.  Cogswell.  ' 'Strength 
does  not  lie  in  mere  numbers;  this  fact  is  as  true  of  books 
as  of  soldiers,"  said  Mr.  W.  E.  Foster.  "One  thousand 
carefully  picked  are  worth  two  thousand  assembled  at 
random." 

Aids  in  Book  Selection. — The  chief  aid  in  book  selection 
for  the  average  small  public  library  is  the  A.  L.  A.  catalog. 
The  first  edition  was  issued  in  1893  for  the  World's  Colum- 
bian Exposition.  It  was  planned  as  a  guide  for  book 
buyers  as  well  as  for  readers  and  as  a  manual  for  librarians 
in  the  matter  of  book  selection.  To  a  certain  extent  it 
was  hoped  that  it  would  take  the  place  of  a  printed  catalog 
in  some  of  the  smaller  public  libraries.  By  checking  in  the 
margin  the  titles  of  the  books  owned  it  forms  a  convenient 
partial  catalog  of  best  books  for  any  library.  In  1904  a 
classified  and  annotated  edition,  thoroughly  revised  and 
brought  down  to  date,  was  prepared  for  the  St.  Louis  Ex- 
position. This  included  7,520  volumes  adapted  to  public 
libraries  as  constrasted  with  5,000  titles  included  in  the  earl- 
ier edition.  A  supplementary  class  list  of  3,000  titles,  cover- 
ing the  books  issued  between  1904  and  1911,  was  issued  by 
the  A.  L.  A.  in  1912.  The  "A.  L.  A.  Booklist,"  a  guide  to 
the  best  new  books,  has  just  completed  its  ninth  annual 
volume. 

Various  state  library  commissions  have  issued  helpful 
lists.  Wisconsin's  "Suggestive  list  of  books  for  a  small 
library"  is  a  good  specimen.  The  "Fiction  catalog"  pub- 
lished by  H.  W.  Wilson  Co.,  Minneapolis,  is  useful  as  a  check 
list  and  contains  many  excellent  titles.  In  the  same  way 
the  lists  of  the  100  and  of  the  1000  best  novels  issued  by 
the  Free  Library  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  are  worth  studying. 
Various  lists  of  best  books,  like  Sir  John  Lubbock's  famous 

22 


"hundred  best  books,"  or  Dr.  Eliot's /'five  foot  library," 
are  to  be  found  in  a  pamphlet  "The  World's  best  books," 
which  is  to  be  had  free  of  charge  from  the  Globe  Wernicke 
Co.,  Cincinnati. 

For  additional  titles  see  "Aids  in  book  selection"  by 
Alice  B.  Kroeger  and  Sarah  W.  Cattell  (A.  L.  A.  Publish- 
ing board,  1908.) 

Bookbuying. — If  it  is  desired  to  buy  a  special  list  of 
books,  already  selected,  it  is  usually  best  to  place  the  order 
with  one  of  the  large  houses  which  make  a  specialty  of 
library  trade  or  with  a  local  dealer,  if  the  proper  service  and 
discounts  are  assured.  Cost  of  carriage  may  total  up  high 
enough  to  offset  a  special  discount,  and  so  should  be  con- 
sidered in  comparing  prices  offered  by  two  different  dealers. 
In  scanning  a  list  of  books  to  be  bought,  attention  should 
be  paid  to 

1.  Those  titles  which  are  to  be  had  in  reinforced  bindings. 

2.  Titles  which  are  to  be  had  in  special  editions,  as  in 
Everyman's  Library. 

3.  Titles  which  are  to  be  had  from  dealers  in  remainders 
and  are  likely  to  be  offered  at  bargain  prices. 

The  "List  of  editions  selected  for  economy  in  book  buy- 
ing," compiled  by  Leroy  Jeffers,  and  published  by  the 
American  Library  Association  (25  cts.)  is  well  worth  study- 
ing. 

The  selection  of  books  to  be  bought  at  any  one  time 
will  be  determined  by  the  prices  at  which  they  can  be 
secured  and  consequently  it  is  desirable  to  constantly  study 
dealers'  catalogs.  Worn  copies  of  popular  titles  or  copies 
that  are  loose  in  their  bindings  are  not  ordinarily  wise 
purchases,  as  they  soon  require  rebinding,  and  thus  make 
the  total  cost  exceed  the  first  cost  of  a  copy  in  reinforced 
binding. 

Subscription  books  are  rarely  worth  anything  like  the 
money  asked  for  them.  If  wanted  they  can  frequently 
be  bought  from  dealers  in  second  hand  books,  or  from 
jobbers  in  remainders  and  surplus  stock. 

Books  should  not  be  bought  from  traveling  agents.  There 
are  only  a  few  publishing  houses  who  employ  them  who 
would  not  supply  their  books  through  the  regular  channels 
of  trade.  "Editions  de  luxe"  are  now  generally  understood 
to  be  for  looks  only,  and  "library  editions"  are  frequently 
so  called  because  they  are  for  the  private  and  not  for  the 

23 


public  library,  being  put  up  in  a  way  not  warranted  to 
withstand  wear  and  tear. 

Accession  Book. — The  accession  book,  which  corresponds 
to  the  invoice  book  of  a  business  house,  is  the  first  of  all  rec- 
ords to  be  made  of  a  book  after  it  has  been  acquired  by  a  li- 
brary. The  accession  book  aims  to  show  the  additions  of 
each  day  in  the  exact  order  of  their  reception,  without  classi- 
fication of  any  kind.  One  turns  to  it  to  learn  what  price 
was  paid  for  a  book,  when  and  where  it  was  bought,  how 
much  was  paid  for  binding  it,  if  it  was  bound  after  being 
acquired  by  the  library,  how  much  was  paid  for  replacement 
if  lost,  etc.  Each  volume  is  entered  on  a  separate  line,  and 
secures  a  separate  accession  number.  By  means  of  this 
number  the  history  of  any  particular  book  can  be  traced. 
The  accession  book  is  the  most  permanent  of  the  library 
records;  entries  cannot  disappear  as  from  a  card  shelf  list, 
and  it  is  of  the  greatest  value  in  case  of  books  lost  or  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  Each  book  should  be  entered  immediately 
after  it  is  collated  and  found  to  agree  with  the  order  and 
bill.  The  entries  must  be  kept  up  to  date  in  order  to  avoid 
loss  and  confusion.  An  accession  number  should  be  given 
each  separate  volume.  Giving  a  single  accession  number 
to  a  set  leads  to  endless  confusion.  A  numbering  machine 
will  save  time  and  help  to  prevent  errors. 


24 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CLASSIFICATION. 

Definition. — Classification  consists  of  putting  like  things 
together.  We  do  this  every  day,  and  the  classification  of 
books  is  only  one  special  phase  of  this  general  process. 
Thus,  a  man  who  owns  a  hardware  store  does  not  place 
his  goods  helter  skelter, — a  stove,  a  box  of  nails,  some  saws 
and  then  a  furnace,  but  he  runs  over  his  stock  and  classifies 
it,  putting  stoves  in  one  place,  nails  in  another.  By  this 
classification  he  gains  two  things:  first,  he  can  find  any 
one  thing  he  wants  more  quickly;  secondly,  he  can  tell 
how  much  of  any  one  article  he  has  on  hand  and  so  decide 
whether  he  nrnst  lay  in  a  new  supply.  Likewise,  the  zoolo- 
gist classifies  all  members  of  the  animal  kingdom  so  that 
he  can  learn  what  the  different  kinds  of  animals  are  and 
study  the  relationship  between  them.  Without  the  help 
afforded  by  classification  he  would  be  overwhelmed  by 
the  immense  number  of  facts  brought  before  him  and 
without  the  aid  of  classification  he  would  never  have  known 
of  evolution,  the  guiding  star  of  modern  investigation. 

First  Principles. — In  our  every-day  life  we  lose  much 
time  hunting  for  things  for  which  we  have  no  definite  place. 
We  have  put  them  in  the  place  which  was  most  convenient 
for  us  at  the  moment  when  we  put  them  away.  Think  for 
yourself  how  it  is  with  your  knowledge.  From  observation, 
from  conversation,  from  reading,  you  learn  a  little  about 
many  subjects  like  electricity,  botany,  astronomy  or  politics, 
but  in  this  desultory  way  you  do  not  learn  very  much  about 
any  one  of  these  subjects.  Therefore  you  do  not  feel  any 
special  need  of  classifying  your  information,  but  when  you 
take  up  any  of  these  subjects  and  pursue  it  seriously  you 
learn  thousands  of  facts  and  relations,  and  then  is  the 
time  that  you  feel  the  need  of  some  plan  of  arrangement  of 
your  knowledge. 

Private  vs.  Institutional  Libraries. — One  has  the  same 
experience  in  regard  to  books.  A  person  having  a  library 
of  from  fifty  to  three  hundred  books  does  not  feel  the  need  of 

25 


classifying  them.  The  ordinary  arrangement  is  based  upon 
size,  color  or  convenience.  The  books  in  the  average  house 
are  so  placed  as  to  look  their  best.  The  classification,  as 
far  as  it  exists,  is  an  esthetic  one.  The  owner  knows  the 
exact  appearance  of  every  volume  in  his  library  and  when 
he  wants  Longfellow's  poems  he  can  tell  at  a  glance  where 
it  is.  In  a  small  private  library  there  is  no  occasion  for 
all  the  history  being  in  one  place  or  all  the  poems  in  another. 
As  the  library  grows,  the  esthetic  principle  of  classification 
can  be  followed  until  the  owner  can  no  longer  readily  remem- 
ber how  each  book  looks. 

But  our  institutional  libraries  contain  so  many  books 
that  the  librarian  cannot  know  them  in  the  same  way  that 
he  can  the  books  in  his  own  private  library  and  consequently 
he  has  to  study  the  question  of  classification  an$I  devise 
a  method  by  which  not  only  he,  but  his  assistants  and 
also  such  readers  as  have  access  to  the  books,  can  readily 
find  them  as  wanted.  Classification,  the  putting  of  like 
things  together,  would,  therefore,  mean  in  a  large  library, 
putting  histories  together  in  one  place,  the  medical  books 
together  in  another  place,  and  so  with  all  other  distinctive 
subjects.  Each  of  these  large  classes  will,  however,  have 
to  be  subdivided.  Thus,  histories  of  Greece  are  put  to- 
gether in  one  place,  histories  of  Rome  in  another,  histories 
of  the  United  States  in  still  another.  The  subdivision 
in  the  larger  libraries  is  carried  still  farther  and  books  on 
the  period  of  the  discovery  of  America  are  put  first,  followed 
by  books  on  the  Colonial  period  of  the  United  States,  the 
Revolutionary  War,  etc.  United  States  history,  if  well 
represented,  is  classified  geographically.  This  process  of 
subdivision  into  separate  groups  of  books  on  each  state  can 
be  carried  still  farther  if  necessary. 

Advantages  of  Classification. — The  following  questions 
may  arise:  What  advantages  come  from  the  classification, 
and  who  are  benefited?  The  advantages  come  to  those 
having  access  to  the  books.  If  one  goes  to  a  library  to  get 
a  volume  by  Arnold  Bennett  it  makes  no  difference  to  the 
individual  whether  the  library  is  classified  or  not  if  he  can- 
not go  to  the  shelves  and  pick  out  the  book  for  himself. 
Likewise,  if  he  wants  Young's  Astronomy  he  will  probably 
get  the  book  more  quickly  if  he  asks  the  attendant  to  get 
it  than  if  he  tries  to  get  it  himself,  supposing  he  does  have 
access  to  the  shelves.  But  the  time  when  the  reader  gets 

26 


the  most  help  from  the  classification  is  when  he  wants  to 
examine  a  number  of  books  on  astronomy  and  can  go  to  the 
shelves  and  find  the  books  on  that  subject  all  in  one  place. 
Then  he  can  easily  find  what  different  writers  have  to  say 
about  the  habitability  of  Mars  or  he  can  find  what  book 
appeals  to  him  as  being  the  most  interesting  and  can  borrow 
it  for  home  use.  Any  investigator  finds  access  to  the 
shelves  of  a  well  classified  library  an  immense  help. 

An  Aid  to  the  Librarian. — Another  person  who  is  greatly 
benefited  by  classification  is  the  librarian,  and  it  is  just  as 
important  that  he  be  helped  as  that  the  reader  be  helped. 
He  is,  however,  helped  in  a  different  way.  He  knows  what 
the  system  of  classification  in  use  in  the  library  is  and  with 
the  outlines  of  this  scheme  in  mind  he  goes  through  the 
library  and  finds  out  where  it  is  strong  and  where  it  is  weak 
and  can  plan  future  purchases  accordingly.  If,  for  example, 
he  finds  on  the  shelves  little  of  value  on  photography  he 
will  make  a  note  of  it  and  buy  more  books  on  that  subject 
when  funds  are  available.  If  lie  finds  that  there  is  an  undue 
supply  of  travel  on  hand,  he  will  note  that  also  and  buy 
fewer  books  in  that  class  in  the  future.  Without  the  help 
of  classification  the  librarian  would  overlook  many  such 
irregularities.  In  an  unclassified  library  they  would  be 
discovered  only  through  a  long  and  tedious  investigation. 
His  only  recourse  would  be  the  catalog  and  that  is  not  so 
well  adapted  to  answer  such  questions. 

Basis  of  Classification. — The  next  question  is,  what  shall 
be  the  basis  of  classification.  It  is  obvious  that  this  basis 
should  be  sought  in  the  character  of  the  books  themselves 
and  should  be  applied  with  constant  reference  to  the  reader 
and  his  needs.  In  regard  to  the  first  point,  character  of 
the  books,  we  know  that  books  have  been  written  on  all 
kinds  of  subjects, — religion,  law,  history,  medicine,  etc. 
and  that  those  subjects  form  the  only  rational  basis  for 
classification.  A  classification  based  on  these  distinctions 
is  the  only  one  that  helps  the  reader.  If  a  man  comes  to 
the  library  to  investigate  a  particular  point  in  medicine, 
it  is  clear  that  it  will  help  him  if  he  finds  all  the  medical 
books  together  rather  than  all  the  books  grouped  according 
to  their  date  of  purchase  by  the  library. 

Present  Tendency. — Many  schemes  have  been  devised 
for  the  classification  of  books,  some  very  simple,  others 
extremely  elaborate.  The  present  tendency  is  to  adopt 

27 


the  more  elaborate  classification.  Formerly  most  libraries 
were  not  classified  at  all,  but  the  books  were  arranged  in  the 
order  in  which  they  were  received,  the  only  grouping  of  the 
books  being  in  such  cases  one  based  on  size, — folios  in  one 
place,  quartos  in  another,  in  order  to  save  shelf  room. 
Assuming  that  the  books  in  the  library  were  numbered 
according  to  the  date  of  their  accession  from  one  up  to,  say, 
twenty  thousand,  it  is  clear  that  the  reader  could  find  a 
book  by  a  particular  writer  quickly  enough  by  looking 
up  its  number  in  the  catalog,  but  if  he  had  wished  to  consult 
thirty  books  on  one  subject,  it  would  be  a  very  tedious 
operation  and  most  readers  would  not  take  the  time  for  it. 
Simple  forms  of  Classification. — The  most  common  plan 
in  English  libraries  is  a  modification  of  this  scheme.  The 
books  are  divided  into  about  ten  classes  and  the  books 
in  each  class  are  arranged  in  the  order  in  which  they  are 
received.  The  classes  are  distinguished  by  capital  letters. 
An  example  said  to  be  very  common  in  England,  is  as  follows. 

A.  Theology  and  philosophy.  F.  Fiction. 

B.  History  and  biography.  G.  Philology. 

C.  Travel  and  topography.  H.  Poetry  and  drama. 

D.  Law,  politics,  commerce.  J.  Juvenile. 

E.  Arts  and  sciences.  K.  Miscellaneous    and 

magazines. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  way  a  book  is  marked  in  this 
scheme,  B  2574  might  be  Green's  "History  of  the  English 
people."  This  book  is  marked  B.  because  it  is  a  history. 
It  is  marked  2574  because  there  were  already  2573  books 
in  this  class  at  the  time  this  book  was  added.  This  mark, 
B  2574,  is  a  very  simple  one  and  to  that  extent  satisfactory. 
The  scheme  is  a  great  advance  over  the  preceding  one, 
because  it  brings  the  books  of  a  kind  together.  Since  there 
are  ten  classes  in  this  scheme,  it  is  evident  that  if  a  reader 
wishes  to  see  all  the  books  on  one  subject  he  will  have  to 
examine  only  one-tenth  of  the  library  instead  of  the  whole 
of  it,  but  even  this  is  not  felt  to  be  minute  enough.  If  the 
library  contains  200,000  volumes  one  class  would  contain, 
on  the  average,  20,000  volumes,  which  is  altogether  too  great 
a  collection  to  search  through.  If  Green's  "History  of 
the  English  people"  were  marked  B  2574,  the  next  book 
might  be  Robinson's  "History  of  Peru,"  marked  B  2575, 
which  is  of  course  a  very  different  subject.  The  case  is 


still  worse  in  class  E,  which  includes  fine  arts,  useful  arts 
and  all  the  sciences,  so  that  a  book  on  chemistry  might 
stand  between  a  book  on  medicine  and  one  on  Raphael. 
This  would  not  satisfy  the  reading  public  of  to-day, — nor 
the  modern  librarian.  The  classes  F,  fiction,  and  J,  juvenile, 
are  not  so  bad ;  there  is  not  so  great  a  difference  between  the 
books  in  these  classes.  They  are  used  more  by  people  seek- 
ing recreation,  rather  than  by  those  looking  for  definite 
titles.  Jacob  Abbott  wrote  some  two  hundred  juvenile 
books  and  many  of  these  might  be  scattered  among  the 
large  class  J.  In  class  F,  fiction,  the  English,  French,  and 
German  authors  would  all  be  thrown  together.  This 
would  be  a  disadvantage  for  any  one  desiring  to  read  along 
a  particular  line. 

Open  vs.  Close  Classification. — The  question  of  open  vs. 
close  classification  is  an  important  one.  By  open  classi- 
fication we  mean  one  without  minute  subdivisions.  An  illus- 
tration of  open  classification  is  the  scheme  of  ten  classes 
described  above.  As  an  extreme  case  of"  open  classifica- 
tion mention  may  be  made  of  the  theological  library  in 
which  only  two  classes  were  used,  the  one  class  containing 
the  books  that  were  sound  in  their  theology,  the  other  the 
books  that  were  unsound. 

At  the  present  time  the  tendency  is  towards  close  classi- 
fication. It  is  a  necessity  in  large  libraries  and  an  advantage 
in  small  ones.  In  this  country  the  two  great  authorities 
on  classification  are  Charles  A.  Cutter  and  Melvil  Dewey. 
Both  have  devised  and  published  schemes  of  classification 
which  are  generally  recognized  as  having  many  excellent 
features.  In  both  schemes  the  classification  admits  of 
very  minute  subdivisions.  Dewey  says  that  if  the  library 
has  only  one  book  on  a  certain  minute  subject,  that  book 
ought  to  be  put  in  its  own  special  class.  It  does  not  matter 
if  there  is  no  other  book  in  the  class.  No  one  can  fully 
understand  what  is  meant  by  close  classification  until  he 
has  had  considerable  experience  in  classifying  books.  You 
can  pick  up  the  printed  scheme  of  classification  and  run 
your  eye  over  the  numbers,  but  you  will  get  comparatively 
little  from  them  until  you  try  to  apply  them. 

Minute  Bibliographical  Classification. — The  following  is 
a  very  important  distinction  in  regard  to  close  classification 
which  should  be  carefully  noted.  It  is  one  thing  to  classify 
books,  but  it  is  quite  a  different  thing  to  classify  articles 

29 


in  magazines  for  the  bibliography  of  a  subject.  Magazine 
articles  may  be  classified  far  more  minutely  than  books 
can  be.  Take,  for  example,  the  Bibliographia  Geologica, 
in  which  references  are  made  to  articles  in  geological 
magazines  and  publications  of  geological  societies.  Here 
the  articles  are  classified  according  to  Dewey.  Dewey's 
class  551  means  physical  geology.  In  this  bibliography 
there  is  a  particular  article  marked  551.795,513,111,044. 
That  is  to  say  the  general  subject  of  physical  geology  is 
subdivided  in  one-trillionth  parts  and  this  article  is  assigned 
to  one  of  those  parts.  If  one  should  apply  for  a  library 
position  and  be  told  that  he  should  have  to  classify  the 
books  as  closely  as  this,  he  would  probably  never  get  the 
position.  If  he  were  given  this  article  to  classify,  he  would 
just  as  likely  as  not  put  it  ten  billion  points  out  of  the  way. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  bibliography  is  compiled  by  a 
number  of  experts  in  geology.  There  are  similar  biblio- 
graphies of  botany,  zoology  and  other  natural  sciences, 
all  minutely  classified  and  all  compiled  by  experts. 

The  reason  that  books  cannot  be  as  closely  classified  as 
magazine  articles  is  that  they  generally  deal  with  broader 
topics.  In  the  average  library  it  does  not  pay  to  classify 
books  more  minutely  than  is  warranted  by  the  general 
run  of  books  in  the  class  in  which  these  books  are  to  be 
assigned.  In  this  regard,  a  distinction  must  be  made  between 
libraries.  The  Library  of  Congress  has  devised  a  classi- 
fication of  its  own  which  is  very  minute,  and  a  number 
of  classifiers  are  employed  to  look  after  the  different  fields 
in  which  they  are  more  or  less  expert.  In  this  way,  classi- 
fication can  be  carried  to  the  extreme  limit  of  closeness. 
Nothing  keeps  one  more  modest  than  classifying,  for  one 
is  continually  brought  face  to  face  with  things  that  one 
does  not  know,  and  so  many  things  of  which  one  knows 
so  little. 

The  Dewey  Decimal  Classification.  The  decimal  classi- 
fication is  used  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  It  is  suit- 
able for  both  large  and  small  collections  of  books  and  for 
indexing.  In  many  schemes  of  classification  letters  are 
used  to  denote  the  classes,  in  others  a  combination  of  letters 
and  figures.  Dewey  uses  only  figures. 

Dewey  developed  his  system  in  1873  and  published  it 
in  1876.  Numbers  of  three  figures  were  used  to  denote 
the  classes.  Since  then  it  has  been  found  desirable  to 

30 


subdivide  much  more  minutely  and  this  has  been  done  with  in- 
creasing minuteness  in  the  seven  editions  that  have  followed 
the  one  of  1876.  A  general  outline  of  Dewey  is  here  given. 

000  General  works 
100  Philosophy 
200  Religion 
300  Sociology 
400  Philology 
500  Science 
600  Useful  arts 
700  Fine  arts 
800  Literature 
900  History 

Each  of  these  is  divided  into  ten  sections,  e.  g. 

500  Science 
510  Mathematics 
520  Astronomy 
530  Physics 
540  Chemistry 
550  Geology 
560  Paleontology 
570  Biology 
580  Botany 
590  Zoology 

Each  of  these  is  divided  into  ten  sections,  e.  g. 

530  Physics 

531  Mechanics 

532  Hydraulics 

533  Pneumatics 

534  Sound 

535  Light 

536  Heat 

537  Electricity 

538  Magnetism 

539  Molecular  physics. 

These  sections  are  still  further  subdivided  until  the 
requisite  degree  of  minuteness  is  reached.  The  system  has 
various  mnemonic  features  which  are  helpful.  Every 

31 


figure  has  a  meaning.  An  alphabetical  list  of  all  these 
meanings  is  appended  to  the  classification.  Thus  after 
the  -word  Hydraulics  is  532,  showing  where  to  look  in  the 
classification  for  this  subject.  All  books  on  hydraulics 
receive  the  number  532  and  are  together  on  the  shelves. 
This  fact  illustrates  one  great  advantage  of  the  Dewey 
system,  that  as  the  library  grows  the  new  books  can  be 
placed  with  the  corresponding  old  ones  without  re-marking 
the  old  ones,  while  in  the  fixed  location  system  the  books 
are  marked  to  certain  localities,  and  when  moved  by  reason 
of  growth  of  the  library  have  to  be  re-marked.  This  re- 
marking includes  not  only  the  books  but  also  the  cards 
referring  to  the  books.  The  re-marking  is  very  costly  and 
very  unsatisfactory.  In  Dewey 's  system  the  books  in  any 
one  class  are  arranged  according  to  some  method.  In  most 
classes  an  alphabetical  arrangement  by  the  names  of  the 
authors  is  simplest  and  best.  In  scientific  classes  some  librar- 
ians prefer  the  chronological  arrangement.  In  any  case  it 
should  be  clear  and  simple. 

Relative  Location. — "With  a  movable  location  all  new 
books  fall  at  once  into  their  proper  places  like  the  cards 
which  are  added  to  a  card  catalog,  and  the  new-comers 
push  the  other  books  along  on  the  shelf,  just  as  new  cards 
push  the  Bothers  along  in  the  drawer.  The  consequence 
is  that  a  book  which  is  here  to-day  may  be  on  the  next 
shelf  in  a  month  or  in  the  next  alcove  in  a  year;  and  the 
local  memory,  which  is  a  great  help  in  finding  books  quickly 
is  disturbed.  The  only  remedy  that  I  can  see  for  this  is 
to  substitute  a  subject  memory  for  a  local  memory,  to  get 
a  habit  of  thinking  of  a  book  as  belonging  to  a  certain  class 
instead  of  as  on  a  certain  shelf  (a  much  more  rational  mem- 
ory, by  the  way),  and  then  to  make  it  very  easy  to  find  the 
classes.  This  last  is  not  hard  to  accomplish.  A  class 
memory  can  be  cultivated  and  may  be  assisted  by  local 
memory  which  will  find  books  by  their  position  relative 
to  other  books,  instead  of  by  their  position  relative  to 
alcoves  and  shelves,  or  doors  and  windows." — C.  A.  Cutter. 


32 


CHAPTER  V. 

CATALOGING. 

Definition. — The  catalog  is  a  directory  of  the  library.  A  li- 
brary without  a  catalog  is  described  by  Thomas  Carlyle  as 
"a  Polyphemus  without  any  eye  in  its  head,  and  you  must 
front  the  difficulties,  whatever  they  may  be,  of  making 
proper  catalogs."  A  good  catalog  must  be  an  accurate 
and  easily  used  index  of  the  resources  of  the  library,  answer- 
ing the  questions  of  the -readers  in  the  simplest  and  most 
direct  way  possible.  Such  questions  fall  into  the  following 
groups : 

1.  Has  the  library  a  certain  book  by  a  certain  author? 

2.  What  books  by  a  certain  author  has  the  library? 

3.  Has  the  library  a  book  with  a  certain  title,  the  author's 

name  being  unknown? 

4.  What  has  the  library  on  a  given  subject? 

5.  What  volumes  of  a  certain  series  are  in  the  library? 

6.  Where  on  the  shelves  of  the  library  is  a  certain  book 

to  be  found,  if  it  is  not  in  use  by  a  reader? 

To  answer  these  questions  certain  "entries",  or  records, 
are  made  in  the  catalog,  called  the  author,  title,  subject 
and  series  entries.  Question  6,  which  is  asked  in  connec- 
tion with  all  the  other  questions,  is  answered  by  the  call 
number,  which  appears  on  every  entry. 

The  most  general  book  of  reference  is  the  dictionary. 
Every  one  is  more  or  less  familiar  with  its  arrangement. 
This  fact  is  the  chief  argument  for  a  dictionary  arrangement 
in  a  card  catalog  where  authors,  subjects,  titles  and  cross 
references  are  arranged  in  one  alphabet,  as  in  a  dictionary. 
Each  "entry,"  or  record,  is  made  on  a  card  having  on  its 
first  line  the  word,  or  words,  under  which  the  entry  is  made. 
This  card  is  placed  in  its  alphabetical  place  in  the  catalog 
tray. 

Author  Entry. — Every  book  must  have  an  author  entry  to 
answer  questions  1  and  2.  By  author  we  mean  the  person, 
body,  government,  society  or  institution  responsible  for  a 

33 


work.  The  entry  is  usually  made  under  the  author's  sur- 
name, followed  by  his  forenames. 

Catalog  Rules. — Every  good  code  of  cataloging  rules  gives 
detailed  directions  for  the  author  entry,  telling  how  to  decide 
who  is  the  author  and  what  form  of  his  name  to  use.  In 
order  to  gain  the  uniformity  necessary  for  the  easy  con- 
sultation of  the  catalog,  the  cataloger  must  decide  upon  her 
rules  and  then  follow  them  carefully.  If  this  is  done,  the 
author  card  will  ordinarily  present  few  difficulties.  The 
American  Library  Association  rules  (1908)  are  very  full 
and  offer  the  advantage  of  general  conformity  to  the 
Library  of  Congress  entries.  The  question  as  to  fullness 
of  author's  name  may  well  be  left  to  the  individual  library. 
The  small  library  will  need  to  use  the  author's  dates  only  to 
distinguish  different  authors  of  the  same  name.  Many 
descriptive  phrases  may  also  be  omitted,  e.  g.  "pres.  of  the 
U.  S."  n  the  heading,  "Washington,  George,  pres.  of  the 
U.  S."  and  similar  headings  This  will  in  no  way  interfere 
with  the  use  of  the  Library  of  Congress  cards,  in  spite  of 
their  fuller  entries,  as  the  full  and  less  full  may  easily  be 
placed  in  one  alphabet. 

All  wo  ks  of  fiction,  dramas  and  poems,  and  works  of 
non-fiction  having  striking  titles  must  have  an  additional 
record,  or  "added  entry",  under  the  title,  in  order  that 
the  catalog  may  answer  question  3.  For  this  entry,  the 
title  is  written  at  the  top  of  the  card.  The  average  reader 
more  frequently  remembers  the  titles  of  books  than  the 
names  of  their  authors.  Consequently  the  cataloger  must 
not  be  too  sparing  in  making  title  entries. 

Subject  Entries. — Non-fiction  must  also  have  added  entry 
under  the  subject  or  subjects  of  the  book.  It  is  here  that 
the  cataloger  finds  scope  for  all  her  knowledge,  judgment 
and  common  sense.  Above  all,  let  it  not  be  said  of  her  that  she 

"Affects  all  books  of  past  and  present  ages, 
But  reads  no  further  than  their  title-pages." 

She  must  examine  the  books  carefully,  studying  the  table 
of  contents,  preface,  analyses  of  chapters  when  given, 
marginal  notes,  and  the  chapters  themselves  when  necessary. 
No  entry  is  to  be  made  under  any  subject  unless  the  cataloger 
is  sure  that  the  book  contains  material  helpful  to  one  look- 
ing up  that  subject.  She  must  always  try  to  put  herself 
in  the  reader's  place,  and  get  his  point  of  view. 

34 


The  cataloger  is  extremely  liable  to  worship  rules  and 
to  forget  the  limitations  of  the  average  reader.  There 
is  danger  of  taking  too  much  for  granted.  In  this  respect 
the  cataloger  is  like  a  certain  professor  who  was  given  to 
quoting  Arabic  in  his  popular  lectures.  When  some  one 
remonstrated,  he  said,  "Oh,  everybody  knows  a  little  Arabic." 

The  cataloger  must  bear  in  mind  the  fact  that  many  users 
of  the  library  do  not  know  how  to  look  up  book  titles. 
President  Eliot  once  confessed  to  a  body  of  librarians  that 
although  he  might  claim  to  be  as  intelligent  as  the  ordinary 
frequenter  of  a  library,  he  did  not  know  enough  to  use  a  card 
catalog. 

Cutter's  Rules. — Having  decided  what  the  subject  or 
subjects  of  the  book  may  be,  for  it  may  have  one  or 
many,  the  question  arises  as  to  the  form  of  the  subject 
headings  to  be  used.  C.  A.  Cutter,  in  his  "Rules  for 
a  dictionary  catalog"  (4th  edition,  1904)  has  laid  down 
the  principles  of  the  choice  of  subject  headings.  One  of 
the  most  useful  tools  of  the  cataloger  is  the  American  Li- 
brary Association  "List  of  subject  headings"  (3d  edition, 
1911),  the  result  of  widespread  consultation  and  discussion 
on  principles  and  practice.  Here  is  gathered  the  experience 
of  many  libraries,  of  all  types,  and  the  cataloger  would  do 
well  to  follow  this  list  unless  experience  has  shown  her  that 
in  some  cases  her  special  library  requires  a  variation.  The 
suggested  cross  references  are  a  great  help,  but  must  be  used 
with  care  and  judgment.  The  cross  references  are  the 
sign  posts  in  the  wilderness  of  the  catalog,  and  they  must 
point  the  way  clearly  and  with  truth.  The  cataloger  never 
knows  at  just  what  point  the  reader  will  strike  the  catalog, 
but  if  the  subject  headings  and  cross  references  have  been 
judiciously  chosen  he  is  pretty  sure  to  reach  the  desired 
goal. 

Analyticals. — In  a  small  library  it  is  most  essential  to 
show  not  only  what  books  the  library  has  on  a  given  sub- 
ject, .but  also  what  chapters  or  essays  may  be  hidden  in 
unsuspected  volumes.  Entries  for  such  parts  of  books 
are  called  analytical  entries.  The  subject  heading  is  chosen 
in  the  same  manner  as  for  an  entire  work  on  the  subject, 
the  author,  title,  date,  call  number  and  paging  of  the  volume 
containing  the  chapter  being  given  below  the  subject  head- 
ing. In  similar  manner  author  and  title  analytical  entries 
may  be  made  for  short  stories  which  appear  in  collections. 

35 


Author  analytical  entries  are  frequently  needed  for  collec- 
tions of  essays,  etc. 

Form  of  Card. — The  form  of  the  card  is  of  minor  import- 
ance, provided  it  is  clear  and  gives  all  of  the  important 
information.  It  is  well  to  make  prominent  the  author's 
name  by  indention.  The  title  must  omit  nothing  which 
will  aid  the  reader  in  his  choice  of  a  book.  The  name  or 
number  of  edition  and  the  name  of  the  editor  or  translator 
should  be  included.  Names  of  illustrators  may  be  omitted 
unless  they  are  of  sufficient  importance  to  require  an  added 
entry  card.  In  a  public  library  added  entries  under  the 
names  of  popular  illustrators  like  C.  D.  Gibson,  Joseph 
Pennell  or  Walter  Crane,  will  often  prove  helpful. 

Imprint  and  Collation. — Fullness  of  imprint  and  collation 
varies  in  different  libraries.  The  cataloger  should  not  count 
on  the  library  always  remaining  very  small,  but  should  in- 
clude enough  details  of  imprint  and  collation  to  assure 
her  that  the  cards  will  be  useful  when  the  library  has  grown. 
The  A.  L.  A.  rules  give  detailed  instruction  for  imprint 
and  collation,  while  any  of  the  papers  written  on.  cataloging 
for  the  small  library  will  point  out  the  possibilities  of  simpli- 
fication. 

Contents  Notes. — The  contents  of  the  book  should  be 
given  whenever  it  will  add  important  items  to  the  reader's 
knowledge  of  the  book.  Descriptive  and  critical  notes  will 
often  tell  a  reader  positively  whether  or  not  he  wishes  the 
book,  when  the  title  alone  could  not  do  this. 

Subject  headings  for  historical  fiction — and  also  for 
poetry  and  drama — will  be  found  most  helpful.  Thus 
Winston  Churchill's  "Crisis"  can  well  have  an  entry 
under  U.  S.  History — Civil  War — Fiction,  and  Dumas' 
The  Whites  and  the  Blues,  an  entry  under  Napoleon  I — 
Fiction. 

Printed  Cards. — The  use  of  the  Library  of^  Congress 
cards  will  be  found  a  great  labor  saver.  If,  at  the  time 
of  ordering  the  cards,  a  temporary  slip  bearing  call  number, 
author,  title,  place  and  date  of  publication,  accession  num- 
ber and  suggested  subjects  and  analytical  be  written,  a 
second  examination  of  the  book  on  the  receipt  of  the  cards 
will  be  unnecessary,  unless  the  cards  disagree  with  the  book 
in  some  of  the  data  noted.  The  Library  of  Congress,  on 
application,  will  send  instructions  for  the  ordering  of 
cards.  Although  it  is  cheaper  to  order  cards  by  serial 

36 


numbers,  it  will  not  pay  the  cataloger -to  spend  much  time 
searching  for  this  number  as  for  Jc  per  title  the  Library 
of  Congress  will  do  this  work.  The  use  of  the  printed 
cards,  though  it  will  destroy  the  uniformity  of  appearance 
of  the  catalog,  will  in  no  way  detract  from  its  usefulness 
or  usableness. 

Essentials. — The  cataloger  must  constantly  bear  in  mind 
that  the  catalog  is  a  machine  for  the  use  of  the  public. 
Any  time  spent  in  making  it  serve  the  readers  more  easily 
and  quickly  is  time  well  spent.  Any  time  spent  in  beauti- 
fying it  simply  for  the  glorification  of  the  cataloger  is  time 
wasted.  Rules, — careful,  detailed  rules, — are  needed  so 
that  the  machine  may  do  its  work  without  friction  and  that 
every  part  may  fit  into  its  proper  place,  but  any  rules  that 
hamper  the  user  of  the  machine,  should  be  promptly  struck 
from  the  code.  The  cataloger  is  paid  to  make  a  time- 
saving  machine,  and  this  is  her  duty,— to  make  a  machine 
that  will  bring  together  the  book  and  the  man  who  wants 
it  with  the  least  expenditure  of  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
latter. 

"If  the  trustees  can  afford  it,"  very  rightly  says  Miss 
Esther  Crawford,  "there  is  one  substitute  for  a  catalog, 
viz.,  a  librarian  who  knows  intimately  every  book  in  the 
library;  who  has  the  memory  for  each  book  and  that  fine, 
discriminating  knowledge  of  the  reader's  tastes  and  abili- 
ties which  will  enable  her  always  to  fit  the  right  book  to  the 
right  person;  who  will  never  be  absent  from  the  library 
during  the  ten  hours  in  which  it  is  kept  open  every  day  in 
the  year;  who  will  never  die  nor  take  a  vacation, — marriage 
is  out  of  the  question."* 

The  Cataloger 's  Training. — "The  modern  library  move- 
ment is  young,  and  it  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  the 
subject  of  library  work  in  general  and  of  cataloging  in 
particular  is  not  fully  understood,"  writes  Miss  Theresa 
Hitchler  in  the  eighth  annual  report  of  the  Brooklyn  Public 
Library.  "The  average  man  does  not  know  and  cannot 
realize  the  demands  of  the  work,  and  has  no  idea,  seem- 
ingly, that  any  training  or  special  aptitude  is  necessary. 
By  way  of  contrast  to  this  average  man's  view  might  be 
recorded  the  plaint  of  a  prominent  librarian  at  a  recent 
library  club  meeting  that  so  great  a  per  cent  of  the  talent 

"•Cataloging;  suggestions  for  the  small  public  library,  1908. 

37 


of  the  library  profession  had  to  be  diverted  to  the  catalog- 
ing department,  to  the  detriment  of  the  circulating  desk. 
The  moral  to  be  pointed  out  is  that  the  catalog  must 
be  good  as  a  first  requisite  to  a  library.  In  the  words  of 
the  old  comparison,  the  catalog  is  the  key  to  the  otherwise 
hidden  material  buried  in  books.  In  a  library  of  any  size,  the 
best  desk  attendant  in  the  world  is  almost  helpless,  or  at 
best  constantly  handicapped,  without  a  convenient  and  ra- 
tional classification  of  the  volumes  of  the  collection  and  the 
bibliographical  aid  of  a  catalogue.  The  born  bibliographer  is 
as  rare  as  the  born  teacher  or  poet.  The  cataloging  expert 
must  have  the  quick  mind,  sound  common  sense,  broad 
view  and  good  judgment  of  the  book-reviewer  joined  with 
the  slow  and  solid  qualities  of  the  bibliographer.  The 
former  qualities  are  needed  for  rapid  classification  of  books 
in  all  the  various  fields  of  human  knowledge,  from  abstruse 
to  practical,  from  grave  to  gay,  and  for  placing  them  under 
subject  headings  in  the  catalog  useful  and  specific,  to 
student,  scholar  and  every  day  reader  alike,  and  are  by 
far .  the  more  important  and  indispensable.  The  latter 
qualities  are  needed  for  recording  accurately  the  data  of 
the  books  so  classed,  in  a  bibliographical  catalog  of  a  form 
useful  to  people  of  all  grades  of  intelligence.  It  stands  to 
reason  that  to  cope  with  these  requirements,  a  solid  educa- 
tional training  that  gives  an  intelligent  outlook  on  the 
various  fields  of  knowledge  must  be  joined  to  a  natural 
aptitude  for  bibliographical  detail,  and  added  to  these  a 
technical  training  in  such  work.  The  head  of  such  a  de- 
partment must  possess  these  requirements  in  an  ever  greater 
degree,  with  an  executive  ability  and  knowledge  of  human 
nature  above  the  ordinary,  since  the  results,  good  or  bad, 
depend  directly  on  her  ability  and  on  her  management, 
successful  or  unsuccessful,  of  the  varied  material  entrusted 
to  her  guidance." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

REFERENCE  WORK  AND  CIRCULATION. 

Reference  Work. — By  "reference  work"  is  meant  work 
done  in  assisting  the  public  to  use  the  resources  of  the 
library.  Dewey  defines  it  as  "systematic  aid  to  readers." 
A  reference  book  according  to  Dr.  E.  C.  Richardson  "is 
a  book  which  is  to  be  consulted  for  definite  points  of  infor- 
mation, rather  than  read  through,  and  is  arranged  with 
explicit  reference  to  ease  in  finding  specific  facts."  In 
this  class  fall  dictionaries,  encyclopaedias  and  hand-books 
of  all  kinds.  The  same  answer  to  almost  any  question 
may  be  found  in  a  number  of  books  in  the  library  by  taking 
the  time  to  examine  them  carefully,  but  the  object  of  the 
reference  department  is  to  serve  the  public  as  expeditiously 
and  satisfactorily  as  possible  and  reference  books  are  the 
means  to  that  end.  Any  book  referred  to  becomes  for 
the  time  being  a  reference  bookj  but  the  term  "reference 
book"  as  used  in  a  library  refers  to  the  "ready  reference 
book,"  i.  e.  the  books  that  were  specifically  written  for 
reference  use  and  to  which  the  definition  given  above  refers. 

The  reference  collection  is  usually  a  small  but  exceedingly 
valuable  portion  of  the  library  and  the  reference  work  does 
not  confine  itself  to  the  use  of  the  reference  books,  but  to 
any  book  in  the  library  which  may  contain  something 
which  will  help  towards  the  desired  answer.  The  reference 
collection  is  generally  placed  in  the  reading  room  of  the 
library  and  in  that  part  of  the  room  most  convenient  to 
the  public  and  to  the  librarian. 

The  reference  department  is  the  heart  of  the  library,  and 
the  more  alive  and  efficient  the  members  of  the  department 
are,  the  stronger  is  the  beat  of  its  pulse  and  the  more  far 
reaching  the  results  of  its  work.  All  other  departments 
exist  to  make  more  efficient  the  work  of  the  reference  de- 
partment. The  accessions  department  purchases  books 
that  there  may  be  live  material  to  work  with  in  the  reference 
department.  The  classifier  groups  the  books  so  that  all 
the  material  on  the  various  subjects  in  the  library  is  placed 

39 


most  conveniently  on  the  shelves.  The  cataloging  de- 
partment catalogs  the  books  so  that  the  reference  depart- 
ment may  by  the  simplest  means  find  what  is  contained 
in  the  library.  Without  the  work  of  the  other  departments 
the  reference  department  would  be  tied  hand  and  foot  and 
might  as  well  not  exist.  With  their  cooperation  it  becomes 
the  very  life  of  the  library,  reaching  out  in  various  ways  into 
the  community  to  make  the  influence  of  the  library  more 
strongly  felt. 

Importance  of  Reference  Work. — The  average  reader  is 
uninformed  as  to  the  use  and  helpfulness  of  any  but  the 
commonest  reference  books.  The  duty  of  instructing  the 
readers  in  the  use  of  the  ordinary  library  tools  devolves 
upon  the  assistants  at  the  reference  desk.  They  must 
interpret  the  catalog  to  the  public  and  incite  in  the  readers 
a  desire  to  help  themselves  after  they  have  been  initiated 
into  the  use  of  a  dictionary  card  catalog  and  have  had  the 
use  of  some  of  the  more  important  reference  books  explained 
to  them.  If  an  education  consists  not  so  much  in  getting 
knowledge  as  in  knowing  how  and  where  to  get  it  when 
the  need  arises,  then  it  is  clear  that  the  assistants  at  the 
reference  desk  fill  an  important  place  in  the  library  staff. 
They  have  a  great  opportunity  for  helpfulness.  Other 
divisions  of  the  library  may  labor  successfully  to  build 
up  the  collections,  and  have  them  properly  classified  and 
cataloged,  but  if  the  service  at  the  reference  desk  is  ineffi- 
cient the  usefulness  of  the  library  is  sadly  impaired.  The 
reference  assistants  can  make  or  mar  the  library's  reputation 
for  service. 

Of  course  there  is  such  a  thing  as  doing  too  much  for  the 
patrons  of  a  library,  thereby  preventing  their  learning  how 
to  help  themselves.  Let  the  readers  understand  that  it  is 
necessary  to  dig  into  the  contents  of  the  books  and  discover 
things  that  the  bibliographies  and  card  catalogs  cannot 
point  out. 

Don't  say  off  hand,  "  I  don't  know  that  we  have  anything 
on  the  subject,"  for  fear  that  before  long  you  will  be  saying 
categorically  that  "The  library  has  nothing  on  the  subject." 
You  should  aid  the  inquirer  by  beginning  the  search.  Say 
rather,  "Let  us  see  what  the  library  has  on  the  subject." 

When  the  books  are  purchased  and  on  the  shelves,  and 
the  catalog  is  in  perfect  shape  for  use,  the  library  is  still  a 
riddle  to  the  public.  There  must  be  one  or  more  capable 

40 


persons  to  meet  the  public  and  -  put  the  contents  of  the 
library  at  its  disposal.  "Knowledge  is  of  two  kinds," 
said  Dr.  Johnson.  ' 'We  know  our  subject  and  we  know  where 
we  can  find  information  upon  it."  The  latter  is  the  knowl- 
edge necessary  to  the  reference  librarian.  Her  knowledge 
of  her  library  must  be  such  that  she  can  find  something 
about  any  question  asked,  if  there  is  material  on  the  subject 
in  the  library.  What  great  novel  is  there  on  the  period  of 
the  Norman  conquest?  Where  can  I  find  a  map  of  the 
city  of  Seattle?  Who  was  the  last  man  elected  to  the 
French  Academy?  What  is  the  point  of  resemblance 
between  Maeterlinck's  writings  and  Coleridge's  Ancient 
Mariner?  Was  Rabbi  Ben  Ezra  a  mathematician?  Such 
are  the  questions  for  which  she  must  be  ready,  from  morn- 
ing till  night,  to  help  find  the  answers. 

The  efficiency  of  the  department  is  many  times  increased 
if  it  can  have  on  its  staff  those  who  in  addition  to  their 
knowledge  of  the  library  have  had  a  broad  education. 
The  broader  the  better  for  there  is  no  subject  on  which  she 
may  not  at  some  time  be  asked  to  find  material.  The  more 
versatile  the  members  of  the  department  are  the  greater  is 
its  efficiency. 

In  no  department  of  the  library  does  personality  count 
for  as  much  as  in  the  reference  department.  The  reference 
librarian  may  be  a  brilliant  student  and  have  a  thorough 
grasp  of  the  various  fields  of  knowledge,  but  of  what  use  will 
it  be  to  her  if  she  has  not  the  ability  to  meet  people  and 
to  sink  her  own  personality  to  a  large  extent?  There  is 
no  profession  which  throws  one  into  the  society  of  more 
varied  types  than  that  of  librarianship.  The  high  and  the 
low,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  educated  and  the  ignorant, 
the  cultured  and  unrefined  all  come  to  the  library  for  aid. 
The  reference  librarian  must  "be  all  things  to  all  people." 
She  must  meet  her  public  in  such  a  way  that  if  they  come 
once  they  will  come  again,  feeling  themselves  cordially 
welcome.  She  must  have  all  the  qualities  which  will  make 
the  library  a  place  to  which  the  public  will  want  to  come, 
and  herself  the  person  they  will  seek  for  assistance. 

How  to  Meet  the  Public. — "The  whole  library  should  be 
permeated  with  a  cheerful  and  accommodating  atmosphere. 
Treat  boy  and  girl,  man  and  woman,  ignorant  and  learned, 
gracious  and  rude,  with  uniform  good  temper,  without 
condescension,  never  pertly.  Anticipate  all  inquiries  when 

41 


possible,  and  especially  put  the  shrinking  and  embarrassed 
visitor  at  once  at  ease. 

"Reference  work  in  libraries  large  and  small  has  for  its 
first  rule:  Meet  the  inquirer  more  than  half  way.  To  the 
stranger  a  library  is  often  an  oppressive  place,  an  awesome 
place — in  his  imagination.  He  comes  in  shyly;  everyone 
appears  busy,  his  question  suddenly  seems  to  him  trivial; 
he  won't  trouble  these  wise  and  busy  people  with  it — and 
goes  out. 

"A  good  second  rule  is:  Learn  at  once  just  exactly  what 
the  inquirer  wishes  to  know.  This  is  not  always  easy. 
Tact  and  a  little  patience  will  generally  effect  it. 

"A  third  good  rule  is:  Whenever  possible  show  the  in- 
quirer how  the  answer  is  found,  so  that  he  may  next  time 
in  some  measure  help  himself.  It  is  surprising  how  many, 
especially  of  the  younger  people  in  a  community,  can  be 
taught  within  one  year,  on  their  occasional  visits,  to  make 
the  proper  use  of  at  least  a  few  reference  books. 

"Another  rule  of  very  good  application  is:  Go  first  to  a 
dictionary.  In  many  cases  a  question  answers  itself,  or 
betrays  where  its  answer  may  best  be  found,  i  it  is  once 
plainly  stated  And  nothing  is  better  than  reference  to 
a  few  words  in  a  dictionary  for  the  clear  statement  of  a 
question.  The  larger  dictionaries,  and  notably  the  Century, 
will  answer  many  more  inquiries  than  even  great  readers 
often  suppose." — John  Cotton  Dana,  in  his  "  Library  primer" 
and  elsewhere. 

Reference  Books. — In  helping  to  answer  an  inquiry  or 
to  find  material  on  a  subject,  the  first  question  in  the  mind 
of  the  reference  assistant  should  be,  not  where,  or  in  what 
particular  book,  shall  I  find  the  information,  but  rather: 
In  what  kind  of  a  book,  or  in  what  class  of  books?  While 
it  is  necessary  that  the  assistant  should  early  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  most  important  or  most  convenient  works 
of  reference  on  the  various  subjects  of  general  interest  it 
is  especially  desirable  to  know  the  point  of  view  of  the 
inquirer,  and  what  sort  of  books,  whether  reference  or 
research,  will  be  needed. 

Reference  books — meaning  ready  reference  books — may 
be  generally  divided  into  two  great  classes:  Dictionaries 
and  Encyclopedias.  The  first  includes  those  works  which 
treat  of  words  used  as  language;  their  meaning,  history, 
pronunciation  and  use.  The  second  class  treats  of  subjects, 

42 


such  as  countries,  men,  animals,  sciences,  arts,  trades  and  sub- 
stances; their  character,  history,  distribution,  etc.  In  both  of 
these  classes  the  arrangement  of  the  matter  is  generally  alpha- 
betical. The  term  "dictionary"  is  frequently  used  for  a 
cyclopedia  of  a  special  subject,  as  in  the  case  of  dictionaries 
of  biography,  antiquities  and  architecture.  Books  of  facts, 
almanacs,  yearbooks  and  census  returns,  belong  to  this 
class. 

Of  the  general,  or  universal  encyclopedias,  devoted  to 
all  classes  of  subjects  without  regard  to  country,  age,  or 
character,  every  public  or  school  library,  no  matter  how 
small,  should  have  at  least  one,  and  the  larger  libraries 
should  possess  several,  as  they  differ  considerably  in  their 
treatment  of  the  subjects.  Encyclopedias  published  in 
the  United  States,  England,  France  and  Germany,  while 
treating  of  matters  of  interest  in  all  these  countries,  would 
naturally  favor  their  own  nationality  and  include  subjects 
in  which  their  immediate  readers  would  be  most  interested. 

A  third  class,  to  which  the  general  name  of  bibliography 
is  usually  given,  includes  not  only  the  indexes  to  the  litera- 
ture of  a  subject  but  catalogs  of  libraries,  special  collections, 
selected  lists,  etc.  Frequently  these  are  the  books  to  be 
consulted  first,  as  they  direct  the  searcher  to  works  and 
articles  of  far  more  importance  than  any  of  the  general 
ready  reference  books. 

One  of  the  most  important  and  useful  books  with  which 
the  reference  assistant  should  become  acquainted  is  Miss 
Kroeger's  "Guide  to  the  study  and  use  of  reference  books," 
(A.  L.  A.  Publishing  board,  1908;  Supplement,  by  Isadore 
G.  Mudge,  1910).  It  is  divided  into  classes  by  formal 
subjects,  but  the  annotations  to  the  titles  included  are  gen- 
erally sufficient  to  show  the  character  of  the  works,  and 
to  what  kind  of  needs  they  would  be  best  adapted.  The 
Michigan  State  board  of  Library  Commissioners  has  pub- 
lished a  handy  "Annotated  list  of  reference  books  for  school 
and  public  libraries,"  1910,  which  will  be  found  useful  by 
those  in  charge  of  smaller  libraries. 

There  are  certain  ready  reference  books  which  should 
be  within  reach  of  every  reading  room  assistant  and  with 
which  all  should  be  familiar.  Among  these  the  following 
may  be  mentioned: 

Baker,    E.    A.     A  guide  to  the  best   fiction  in    English. 


43 


New  ed.     N.  Y.     Macmillan.     1913.     $5.50. 

Bliss,  W.  D.  P.  and  Binder,  R.  M.  New  encyclopedia  of 
social  reform.  New  ed.  N.  Y.  Funk.  1908.  $7.50. 

American  year  book.     N.   Y.     Appleton.     1910-date. 
$3.50.     Annual. 

Statesman's  year  book.    N.  Y.    Macmillan.    $3.    Annual. 

Whitaker,  Joseph.  Almanack.  Lond.  Whitaker.  2s. 
6d.  Annual. 

World  almanac.  N.  Y.  The  N.  Y.  World.  25c  paper. 
Annual. 

Christy,  Robert.  Proverbs,  maxims  and  phrases  of  all  ages. 
N.  Y.  Putnam.  1905.  2  v.  in  1.  $2.50. 

Hopkins,  A.  A.  Scientific  American  cyclopedia  of  formulas. 
N.  Y.  Munn.  1911.  $5.00. 

Kent,  William.  Mechanical  engineer's  pocket-book.  Ed. 
8.  N.  Y.  Wiley.  1910.  $5. 

Trautwine,  J.  C.  Civil  engineer's  pocket-book.  Ed.  19. 
N.  Y.  Wiley.  1911.  $5. 

Standard  handbook  for  electrical  engineers.  Ed.  3.  Rev. 
and  enl.  N.  Y.  McGraw.  1910.  $4. 

Bartlett,  John.  Familiar  quotations.  Ed.  9.  Bost.  Little. 
1911.  $3. 

Granger,  Edith.  Index  to  poetry  and  recitations.  Chic. 
McClurg.  1904.  $5. 

Hoyt,  J.  K.  Cyclopedia  of  practical  quotations;  English, 
Latin,  and  modern  foreign  languages.  New  ed.  enl. 
N.  Y.  Funk.  1896.  $6. 

Schauffler,  R.  H.  Our  American  holidays.  N.  Y. 
M  off  at.  $1  a  vol.  A  volume  on  each  of  the  important 
holidays:  Arbor  Day,  Christmas,  Flag  Day,  Independ- 
ence Day,  Lincoln's  Birthday,  Memorial  Day,  Thanks- 
giving and  Washington's  Birthday. 

Walsh,  W.  S.  International  encyclopedia  of  prose  and 
poetical  quotations.  Phil.  Winston.  1908.  $3. 

Brewer,  E.  C.  Historic  note-book:  with  an  appendix 
on  battles.  Phil.  Lippincott.  1891.  $3.50. 

Haydn,  Joseph.  Dictionary  of  dates  and  universal  in- 
formation relating  to  all  ages  and  nations.  Ed.  24. 
N.  Y.  Putnam.  1906.  $6. 

Larned,  J.  N.  History  for  ready  reference  from  the  best 
historians  and  specialists.  Rev.  and  enl.  ed.  Springfield 
(Mass.)  Nichols.  1901-1910.  7  v.  $35. 


44 


Ploetz,  Karl.  Epitome  of  ancient,  mediaeval  and  modern 
history:  tr.  and  enl.  by  W.  ~H.  Tillinghast,  with  addi- 
tions covering  recent  events.  Bost.  Houghton.  1905. 

$3. 

Peck,  H.  T.  Harper's  dictionary  of  classical  literature 
and  antiquities.  N.  Y.  American  Book  Co.  1897. 
$6. 

A.  L.  A.  portrait  index;  index  to  portraits  contained  in 
printed  books  and  periodicals.  Wash.  Lib.  of  Cong. 
1906.  $3. 

Thomas,  Joseph.  Universal  pronouncing  dictionary  of 
biography  and  mythology.  Phil.  Lippincott.  1901. 
2  v.  $15. 

Who's  who.     N.  Y.     Macmillan.     $2.50  n.     Annual. 
Appleton's   cyclopedia   of  American  biography.     N.    Y. 

Appleton.   •  1888-1900.     7  v.     $36. 
Who's  who  in  America;  a  biographical  dictionary.     Chic. 

Marquis.     $4.     Biennial. 

Moulton,  C.  W.     Library  of  literary  criticism  of  English 
and  American  authors.      Buffalo.  .   Moulton  pub.  co. 
1901-05.     8  v.     $5.  a  vol. 
Harper's  encyclopedia  of  U.  S.  History  from  458  A.  D. 

to  1902.  N.  Y.  Harper.  1902.  lOv.  $31. 
Poole's  Index  and  the  Reader's  Guide.— In  1848  William 
F.  Poole,  at  that  time  a  junior  at  Yale,  and  librarian  of  one 
of  the  undergraduate  literary  societies,  began  indexing  by 
topics  such  magazines  as  were  available  "for  the  purpose 
of  helping  students  in  the  preparation  of  their  written 
exercises  and  society  discussions."  Mr.  Poole  had  noticed 
that  the  sets  of  standard  periodicals  with  which  the  library 
was  well  supplied  were  not  used,  although  they  were  replete 
with  information  on  subjects  about  which  inquiries  were 
made  in  vain  every  day.  Mr.  Poole's  manuscript  index 
soon  showed  serious  signs  of  wear  and  in  order  to  preserve 
it  recourse  was  had  to  printing.  An  edition  of  500  copies, 
printed  in  1848  was  soon  exhausted,  and  in  1853  an  edition 
of  1000  of  a  much  enlarged  index  was  published.  Mr. 
Poole's  increasing  duties  as  librarian  of  the  Boston  Athen- 
aeum, and  later  of  the  public  libraries  of  Cincinnati  and 
Chicago,  left  him  no  leisure  for  carrying  on  the  index,  and 
so  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  American  Library  Association 
in  1876  he  proposed  that  the  work  be  carried  on  by  co- 
operation. This  plan  was  adopted  and  with  Mr.  Poole 

45 


as  editor-in-chief  and  Mr.  W.  I.  Fletcher  as  assistant  and 
with  the  cooperation  of  some  fifty  libraries  the  work  was 
carried  on  until  Mr.  Poole's  death  in  1894.  The  first 
volume  of  this  cooperative  venture  appeared  in  1882,  with 
supplements  in  1888,  1893,  1897,  1903,  and  1908,  after 
which  the  publication  was  suspended. 

In  1901  the  H.  W.  Wilson  Company  of  Minneapolis 
began  the  publication  of  a  monthly  "Readers'  guide  to 
Periodical  literature,"  with  the  view  to  supplying  the  needs 
of  the  very  small  libraries.  It  was  to  be  cumulated  quarterly 
and  it  increased  rapidly  in  scope.  In  1903  there  was  in- 
corporated with  it  the  "Cumulative  index  to  periodicals" 
which  had  been  published  in  Cleveland  for  several  years. 
Two  five-year  cumulations  covering  1900-04  and  1905-09 
have  been  published  and  have  grown  rapidly  in  favor. 
This  publication  will  henceforward  continue  the  work  of 
the  Poole  Index. 

Public  Documents. — Among  the  sources  of  reliable  in- 
formation most  prized  by  the  properly  trained  desk  attend- 
ant must  be  reckoned  the  various  series  of  documents  pub- 
lished by  the  United  States  Government.  While  hitherto 
many  depository  libraries  have  been  swamped  with  the 
output  of  the  Government  Printing  Office  for  which  the 
libraries  could  not  provide  proper  shelf -room,  the  libraries 
are  now,  by  a  process  of  selection  and  elimination,  coming 
to  learn  what  volumes  are  of  most  use  to  their  particular 
clientele.  It  is  better  for  a  small  library  to  buy  these  from 
the  Government  Printing  Office  than  to  have  a  whole  lot 
of  documents  for  which  they  have  no  call  dumped  down 
on  them.  Among  the  United  States  documents  the  follow- 
ing will  be  found  the  most  useful  for  the  average  public 
library : 

Congressional  record. 

Bound  volumes;  contain  daily  proceedings  of  Congress. 
If  the  daily  edition  is  procurable  it  ought  to  be  filed 
with  the  daily  newspapers.  An  index  is  issued  every  two 
weeks,  and,  with  the  bound  volume,  one  for  the  entire 
session.  Obtainable  through  the  local  Congressman. 

Census  Bureau.     Reports  and  bulletins. 

Cotton  ginning  reports.  Contain  comparative  tables 
of  the  amount  of  cotton  ginned  from  the  crops  grown. 

46 


Forest  products.     This  publication  shows  statistics  on 

lumber  and  timber  products. 

Tobacco  reports. 

Special  reports.     Complete  statistical  reports  on  sub- 
jects   of    great    importance.     The    abstract    of    the 
census   is   an   exceedingly   useful   reference   manual 
supplementing  the  annual  statistical  abstract. 
Statistical  abstract  of  the  United  States. 

A  comprehensive  manual  of  general  information  issued 
annually.     Advance  edition  in  paper  binding  avail- 
able through  Congressman. 
Civil  Service  Commission.     Reports. 

Administrative  and  statistical,  with  discussion  of  public 
questions  coming  within  the  scope  of  the  Commission. 
Commissioner  of  Education.     Reports  and  bulletins. 

Embody  the  results  of  the  Commissioner's  investi- 
gations and  labors,  with  statistics  and  special  articles, 
and  recommendations  which  will  promote  the  purpose 
for  which  the  office  was  established.  While  chiefly 
devoted  to  the  educational  system  of  the  United 
States,  there  are  papers  on  important  educational 
movements  in  other  countries.  The  bulletins  in- 
clude the  annual  bibliography  of  Education. 
Department  of  Agriculture. 

Yearbook.  A  most  interesting  and  valuable  compend 
of  scientific  knowledge,  practically  applied  to  agri- 
cultural life.  It  contains  also  much  statistical  in- 
formation of  use  to  farmers  and  others.  It  has  been 
issued  annually,  beginning  with  1894,  and  has  be- 
come very  widely  known. 

Farmers'  bulletins  and  bulletins  of  the  Weather  Bureau, 
Forestry,  Plant  Industry,  Chemistry,  Entomology, 
etc.  The  Farmers'  bulletins  give  brief  popular  articles 
in  simple  concise  language  on  a  great  variety  of  topics. 
Over  six  and  a  half  million  copies  of  these  bulletins 
are  issued  annually. 
Commissioner  of  Labor.  Reports  and  bulletins. 

Give  information  as  to  labor  and  economic  problems 
at  home  and  abroad.     To  be  had  free  of  charge  upon 
application. 
Library  of  Congress.     Select  list  of  references  on  various 

subjects.     General  publications. 


47 


Smithsonian  Institution. 

National  Museum.  Reports.  Annual.  Administrative 
report  on  the  progress  and  condition  of  the  Museum. 
The  Congressional  edition  bears  the  same  document 
number  as  the  Smithsonian  report,  though  the  law 
calls  for  separate  publication.  The  earlier  volumes 
contained  a  number  of  articles  on  American  arch- 
aeology, but  the  general  appendix  of  scientific  papers 
has  not  been  printed  since  1904. 

Bureau  of  Ethnology.  Reports  and  bulletins.  Re- 
ports. Annual.  Contain  collections  of  illustrated 
papers,  relating  to  the  habits,  customs,  languages, 
folk-lore,  religious  ceremonials,  etc.,  of  the  North 
American  Indians.  Bulletins.  Papers  relating  to 
the  North  American  Indians.  Similar  to  the  annual 
reports  in  character  and  contents. 
Geological  Survey. 

Maps.  Geologic  atlas  of  United  States.  Issued  in 
parts  or  folios  as  surveys  are  completed  for  various 
areas.  Each  folio  comprises  topographic,  geologic, 
economic,  and  structural  maps  of  the  quadrangle, 
and  occasionally  other  illustrations,  with  a  general 
description. 

Bulletins.     Cover  a  wide  range  of  geologic  investigation. 

Monographs.      Comprehensive    and    exhaustive   treat- 
ises on  geologic  subjects. 
Official  gazette  of  the  Patent  Office. 
Official  postal  guide. 

Private  publication,  authorized  by  Post  Office  Depart- 
ment.    Albany,  N.  Y.,  J.  B.  Lyon  Co.,  $3.50  per 
year. 
Congressional  directory. 

For  the  current  session  of  Congress.  Several  editions 
embodying  changes  and  corrections  are  issued  during 
each  session  of  Congress. 

General  biographical  directory  of  Congress,  1774-1911. 
Official  register  of  the  United  States. 
The   list   of   American   and   English   genealogies   in   the 

Library  of  Congress,  1910;  also,  Heads  of  families,  1790, 

in  the  thirteen  original  states. 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,   Jefferson's   Manual 

and  Rules  of  procedure  for  the  Senate  and  House  of 

Representatives . 

48 


Heitman's  Dictionary  of  the  United  States  army,  1789- 

1903. 
Hamersly's   Register  of  the   graduates  of  West    Point, 

con  tinned  to  1900. 

State  Documents. — In  addition  to  the  United  States 
Documents  referred  to  above  there  are  a  number  of  State 
Documents  which  will  prove  especially  helpful  as  reference 
sources  in  a  public  library.  They  are  generally  to  be 
secured  through  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  for  Michigan 
the  following  might  be  specified: 

Constitutional  Convention,  1907-8,  Journal  .and  Debates 
(4  vols).     The  Journal  contains  comparative  text  of 
the  Constitutions  of  1908  and  1850. 
Compiled  Laws,  and  index,  1897  (4  vols.),  and  Index  to 

the  Compiled  Laws  and  Acts  to  1906. 
Legislature.     Journals  of  the  Senate  and  the  House  of 
Representatives  and  the  Public  and  Local  Acts  at  the 
biennial  sessions  after  1897. 

Michigan  Manual.  Official  directory  and  legislative 
manual  compiled  by  the  Secretary  of  State.  Biennial. 
Contains  statistical  information  prepared  especially  for 
the  members  of  the  Legislature,  with  maps  of  legislative 
districts,  lists  of  state  officers,  etc.  Desirable  in  every 
library. 

Census  of  Michigan.     1904  and  every  ten  years. 
State  Pioneer  and  Historical  Collections,  annual  volumes. 
Reports  of  the  following: 
State  Board  of  Agriculture 
Commissioner  of  Banking  Department 
Board  of  Corrections  and  Charities 
Dairy  and  Food  Commissioner 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
State  Board  of  Health 
Commissioner  of  Insurance 
Bureau  of  Labor  and  Industrial  Statistics 
Commissioner  of  Railroads 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  and  Bulletins 
State  Library — and  State  Library  Commission. 
Loan  Systems. — The  function  of  the  loan  department  has 
been  thus  defined:  "To  give  to  the  reader  the  books  he 
wants  to  take  home  and  to  make  sure  that  he  will  return 
them  promptly  for  the  sake  of  other  readers."     To  this 
end  a  systematic  record  of  books  loaned  is  kept. 

49 


This  record  may  be  made  to  answer  certain  questions 
which  arise  in  different  kinds  of  libraries.  (1)  What  books 
are  due  on  a  certain  day?  This  is  the  "time  record."  It 
is  the  record  usually  kept  and  is  necessary  to  insure  the 
library  against  loss  and  to  safeguard  the  interests  of  the 
community.  (2)  What  books  are  out,  or,  is  a  certain  book 
out?  Who  has  it  and  when  is  it  due?  It  is  the  "book 
record"  and  this  kind  of  a  record  is  kept  in  most  college 
libraries.  (3)  What  books  does  a  certain  person  have  out? 
This  is  called  the  "readers  or  borrowers  record."  Although 
some  libraries  keep  all  three  of  these  records,  many  keep 
only  two  and  the  majority  only  one. 

It  is  not  possible  to  say  that  there  is  one  best  charging 
system  although  some  form  of  the  Newark  or  the  Brown 
system  is  commonly  used.  All  systems  require  a  register  of 
the  "borrowers,"  kept  either  numerical ly  in  a  book  or 
alphabetically  on  cards  or  both.  Some  libraries  require 
a  sponsor  or  guarantor  for  each  one  drawing  books,  but 
this  is  going  out  of  favor  and  only  an  identification  is  de- 
manded. When  the  library  is  small  or  the  patronage  is 
large  it  is  customary  to  limit  the  number  of  volumes  a 
person  can  have  out  at  one  time  to  two,  one  volume  of 
fiction  and  one  non-fiction.  These  volumes  can  be  kept 
from  seven  to  fourteen  days  with  the  privilege  of  renewing 
them  for  an  equal  length  of  time.  Other  libraries  give  much 
more  freedom  in  the  number  of  books  one  person  may  draw 
and  in  the  length  of  time  they  may  be  retained. 

Most  charging  systems  require  that  each  book  in  the 
library  be  fitted  with  a  pocket  into  which  is  slipped  a  "book 
card"  on  which  may  appear  the  author  and  title  of  the 
book,  the  class  and  book  numbers  and  the  accession  number. 
When  the  book  is  drawn  out  this  card  is  removed  from  the 
book  and  is  kept  in  the  library.  On  it  may  be  entered  the 
borrower's  name  or  number  and  the  date  the  book  is  drawn 
or  to  be  returned.  A  card  may  also  be  issued  to  each  reader 
for  purposes  of  identification  or  to  aid  in  charging  the  book. 
Such  a  card  is  a  "reader's  card"  or  "borrower's  card," 


50 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  BINDING  AND  CARE  OF  LIBRARY  BOOKS. 

Library  Binding. — The  average  library  is  spending  about 
six  percent  of  its  total  income  on  binding.  The  newer 
and  smaller  libraries  spend  less  because  their  books  have 
not  yet  come  to  need  the  binder's  attention.  The  older 
and  larger  libraries  spend  more  because  of  the  large  number 
of  books  needing  to  be  rebound  and  the  numerous  period- 
icals taken. 

The  essentials  of  good  library  binding  are  durability, 
flexibility,  neatness,  high  grade  of  materials  and  suitability 
of  style.  Library  bookbinding  is  distinct  from  the  ordinary 
machine  made  "case"  or  publisher's  cloth  binding  and  the 
decorative  binding  favored  by  bibliophiles  and  amateurs. 
The  weak  points  in  modern  book  making  are  poor  paper, 
imperfect  sewing,  poor  attachment  of  the  book  to  the  cover, 
lack  of  flexibility  in  the  back  and  joint,  perishable  leather 
and  cloth  used  in  the  binding.  The  results  are  that  leaves 
become  loosened,  the  joints  broken  and  the  linings  of  the 
hollow  backs  come  off  and  the  boards  separate.  The 
present  tendency  is  to  strengthen  weak  joints  by  using 
double  boards,  inserting  between  them  the  linings  and  tapes 
on  which  the  book  is  sewn. 

Much  of  the  durability  of  a  binding  depends  upon  the 
quality  of  glue  used.  The  cost  of  glue  used  on  a  book 
cannot  always  be  determined  by  the  price  paid  per  pound, 
since  the  cheaper  glue  will  not  cover  as  much  surface  as 
the  higher  grade  glue  which  absorbs  more  water.  The 
cheap  article  is  a  great  detriment  to  the  life  of  the  paper, 
the  free  opening  of  the  book  and  the  flexibility  of  the  back. 
"Flexible  glue"  as  made  in  this  country  is  a  misnomer. 
To  say  the  least  it  is  not  all  that  the  manufacturers  claim 
for  it. 

Leather. — The  old  saying  that  there  is  nothing  like 
leather  for  wear  no  longer  holds  true.  Modern  leather 
is  much  less  durable  than  old  leather.  Modern  leather 
bindings  decay  mainly  because  of  improper  methods  of 

51 


tanning,  the  use  of  dried  and  cured  skins  of  inferior  quality, 
the  use  of  acids  and  other  injurious  agents  in  the  bleaching 
and  dyeing  processes,  the  removal  of  the  natural  oils  and 
the  splitting  and  artificial  graining  of  the  skins.  Red  and 
some  shades  of  brown  are  the  colors  found  to  be  most  dur- 
able. Many  of  the  bright  colored  dyes  seem  to  hasten 
decay.  Leathers  that  look  alike  may  wear  very  differently. 
Names  applied  to  various  grades  mean  less  and  less.  The 
experience  of  recent  years  with  the  leathers  used  in  book 
binding  has  led  librarians  to  a  wider  use  of  book  cloths  of 
various  kinds. 

Cloth. — The  cloths  most  in  favor  are  (1)  buckram,  which 
if  made  in  the  United  States,  is  a  strong  cotton  cloth,  suit- 
able for  books  of  average  size  subject  to  a  fair  amount  of 
wear.  The  "library  buckram,"  made  by  the  Holliston 
Mills,  Norwood,  Mass.,  and  the  "legal  buckram,"  made 
by  the  Joseph  Bancroft  Sons  Co.,  of  Wilmington,  Del., 
are  made  according  to  the  specifications  drawn  up  by  the 
Bureau  of  Standards  for  use  on  government  documents. 
(2)  Duck,  or  canvas,  is  the  heaviest  cloth  used  in  binding 
and  is  especially  advised  for  newspapers  and  heavy  period- 
icals which  are  seldom  used.  (3)  Imperial  morocco  cloth 
is  frequently  used  on  fiction  and  juveniles.  It  does  not 
take  lettering  as  easily  as  the  buckram.  (4)  Keratol  is  a 
washable  cloth  which  is  used  by  some  binders  on  the  sides 
of  fiction  and  juveniles  bound  in  half  leather.  It  should 
never  be  used  for  full  binding. 

Preservation. — Bindings  should  not  be  exposed  to  the 
direct  rays  of  the  sun  and  the  temperature  of  the  building 
should  not  exceed  70  degrees  Fahrenheit.  Good  ventila- 
tion is  a  great  aid  to  book  preservation.  Dampness  affects 
injuriously  both  the  binding  and  paper.  If  leather  bound 
books  are  handled  much  the  oil  from  the  hands  keeps  the 
leather  in  fair  condition.  For  leather  books  not  often 
consulted,  the  necessary  oil  should  be  supplied  by  appli- 
cation. Vaseline  has  been  used  with  success,  but  a  more 
generally  satisfactory  preservative  is  the  following:  Pure 
castor-oil  with  one  half  of  its  weight  of  paraffin  wax  heated 
in  an  earthen  jar  until  the  wax  melts.  Apply  with  a  flannel 
cloth,  paying  special  attention  to  the  backs  and  joints. 
Use  sparingly  but  rub  thoroughly.  Then  wipe  with  a  clean 
flannel. 

Care  of  Books. — In  order  to  insure  the  proper  handling 

52 


of  books  by  the  public,  the -staff  must  set  a  good  example 
in  this  respect.  Care  should  be  used  in  opening  a  new 
book  so  as  to  loosen  but  not  break  the  joints  of  the  binding. 
Careless  cutting  of  the  leaves  produces  a  ragged  appearance 
which  is  not  conducive  to  increased  respect  for  the  volume, 
after  it  gets  out  into  circulation.  Suitable  paper  cutters 
with  smooth  dull  edges  should  be  provided  and  nothing  else 
used.  Don't  trust  the  public  to  cut  the  leaves  of  new 
books  or  magazines.  Many  reputable  people  are  worse  than 
careless  in  this  matter. 

Books  should  not  be  piled  up  very  high,  nor  wedged 
into  overcrowded  shelves.  They  must  be  kept  dry.  Damp- 
ness is  destructive  to  both  paper  and  binding. 

Do  not  turn  books  face  downwards  when  open,  nor  allow 
others  to  do  so  without  politely  calling  their  attention 
to  this  piece  of  thoughtlessness.  Books  should  be  used 
for  reading  and  for  nothing  else.  Open  them  gently  and 
try  not  to  let  them  fall.  Do  not  try  to  carry  too  many  at 
one  time. 

Cleanliness  is  a  great  help  to  book  preservation.  A  habit 
of  constant  watchfulness  for  books  needing  repairs  should 
be  developed  by  every  member  of  the  staff.  "A  stitch 
in  time  saves  nine"  in  a  library  if  anywhere. 


53 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WORK  WITH  CHILDREN. 

The  proper  age  for  a  child  to  become  a  patron  of  the 
library  is  the  age  when  he  has  the  inclination  to  visit  the 
library,  possibly  with  older  brothers  and  sisters,  to  look 
at  picture  books,  hear  stories  told,  and  in  case  he  is  too 
young  to  be  responsible  for  a  borrower's  card,  occasionally 
to  induce  the  older  brothers  and  sisters  to  take  home  a 
book  for  his  use.  A  child's  first  reading  is  by  means  of 
pictures  and  his  first  introduction  to  literature  through 
stories  told  or  read  aloud,  and  even  as  early  as  the  picture 
book  period  the  library  has  the  responsibility  of  supplying 
the  child's  need  and  desire  for  experience  through  books 
and  of  developing  his  taste  by  putting  before  him  the  best. 
The  child  who  grows  up  with  the  library  will  be  a  more 
intelligent  and  appreciative  user  of  the  adult  department 
than  he  would  be  had  he  grown  up  without  the  library. 

The  children  should  have  a  place  of  their  own  where 
they  can  find  that  which  is  for  them,  be  somewhat  out 
of  the  way  of  adult  patrons  and  feel  a  sense  of  ownership, 
feel  that  some  part  of  the  library  belongs  to  them. 

In  the  small  library,  if  a  separate  children's  room  is  not 
a  possibility,  let  there  be  at  least  a  corner  fitted  tip  as  the 
children's  domain.  Let  it  be  made  attractive  for  them.  If 
possible,  have  the  shelving  lower  than  ordinary,  or  perhaps 
the  regulation  height  with  the  two  upper  shelves  boarded 
up  and  covered  with  cork  carpet,  making  a  frieze  on  which 
can  be  posted  temporary  sets  of  pictures.  A  frieze  space 
can  be  utilized  in  a  number  of  ways.  By  all  means  have 
at  least  one  low  table  with  chairs  to  correspond;  the  ideal 
way  is  to  have  two  heights  of  tables, — about  23  and  27 
inches  with  chairs  13  and  15  inches  in  height.  Low  racks 
for  picture  books  and  the  magazines  for  children  are  con- 
venient and  attractive.  A  space  for  picture  bulletins  or 
illustrated  reading '  lists  is  useful  as  a  means  of  attracting 
attention  to  fresh  interest  in  reading,  to  material  on  popular 
subjects,  or  to  neglected  classes  of  books.  If  framed  pic- 

54 


tures  can  be  afforded,  there  are  good  prints,  lithographs 
and  photographs  which,  if  carefully  chosen,  can  be  both 
decorative  and  educational  from  the  standpoint  of  art, 
as  well  as  pleasing  in  themselves  to  the  children.  There 
should  be,  if  possible,  at  least  one  picture  or  reproduction 
of  sculpture  representing  a  work  of  art  of  permanent  value. 

The  books  for  the  youngest  children  represent  a  distinct 
class  of  reading  and  should  be  separated  from  the  others 
in  order  that  the  little  children  need  not  search  through 
the  whole  collection  to  find  their  own.  It  is  best  to  shelve 
this  collection  near  the  picture  books  on  the  one  hand  and 
the  fairy  tales  on  the  other,  thus  allowing  the  children  to 
find  the  next  step  at  hand. 

Rules. — It  should  be  remembered  that  rules  and  disci- 
pline are  for  the  moral  benefit  of  the  children  even  more 
than  for  the  protection  of  the  library  and  it  is  wise  to  make 
rules  only  as  they  are  found  necessary,  but  once  made, 
let  them  be  enforced.  The  key  note  of  successful  disci- 
pline is  sympathy  with  child  nature.  Through  personal, 
persistent  work  a  desired  atmosphere  of  order  becomes 
to  a  great  extent  established  and  obedience  to  unwritten 
laws  a  habit,  although  each  individual  case  requiring  disci- 
pline may  require  individual  treatment,  children  being 
individuals.  Problems  of  racial  temperament  and  social 
education,  depending  on  the  classes  of  society  with  which 
one  is  dealing,  enter  largely  into  all  phases  of  library  work. 
One  working  with  children  has  many  opportunities  to 
become  an  influence  for  good  in  their  lives  by  way  of  little 
courtesies  and  obedience  to  laws  of  order  and  fairness, 
which  are  taught  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Rules  governing  fines  for  overdue  and  damaged  books 
must  be  decided  according  to  the  policy  of  individual  li- 
braries. It  is  not  good  for  children  to  feel  that  a  fine  can 
be  outlawed;  better  remit  it  for  sufficient  reasons  or  try 
the  plan  of  allowing  them,  in  certain  cases,  to  work  out  the 
fine, — a  plan  which  has  been  found  satisfactory  in  some 
libraries.  A  damaged  book  should  never  be  passed  without 
notice. 

Books  for  children. — The  great  purpose  of  library  work 
with  children  is  to  attract  the  children  to  books :  satisfying 
individual  needs  and  demands,  and  guiding  their  reading. 
Hence,  the  two  most  important  requisites  for  the  children's 
librarian  are  a  knowledge  of  children  and  of  books,  and 

55 


if  there  is  but  one  thing  she  can  do  by  way  of  preparation 
for  this  work,  let  it  be  that  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
a  few  children's  books  representative  of  various  types. 
Nothing  can  take  the  place  of  first  hand  knowledge  of  the 
books  and  of  intelligence  in  placing  the  right  book  in  the 
hands  of  the  right  child  at  the  right  time. 

To  be  capable  of  guiding  the  reading  of  children  it  is 
necessary  for  one,  first,  to  have  appreciation  and  discern- 
ment in  adult  literature,  second,  to  gain  the  child's  point 
of  view.  The  various  printed  book  lists  are  helpful,  but 
the  librarian  should  depend  upon  her  own  judgment  as 
final  critic  in  the  selection  of  books  for  her  children's  col- 
lection. She  must  realize  the  qualities  essential  to  partic- 
ular classes  of  books,  such  as  history,  and  biography,  science, 
travel,  fiction,  and  the  qualities  which  make  them  suitable 
for  children.  In  the  matter  of  books  of  science,  etc.,  it 
is  always  best  to  obtain  the  judgment  of  some  authority 
in  this  line  as  to  their  accuracy.  As  to  their  suitability 
for  children  in  presentation, — simplicity  of  treatment  and 
interest  of  style, — the  worker  with  children  is  still  the  best 
judge.  The  story  style  of  presenting  science  is,  as  a  general 
thing,  of  little  use.  Children  can  take  their  informative 
reading  in  a  straightforward  way.  Nothing  is  more  dis- 
appointing to  them  than  to  take  a  book  for  the  sake  of 
the  story  and  find  that  it  is  only  information  with  a  story 
covering,  or  to  search  for  some  definite  information  and 
be  constantly  hindered  by  the  narrative. 

As  to  the  real  literature  for  children,  or  the  story,  perhaps 
there  is  no  surer  way  of  gaining  discrimination  than  by 
reading  some  of  the  classics  for  children  and  some  of  the 
standard  fiction;  e.  g.,  a  few  of  the  old  favorite  folk  tales, 
myths,  and  such  adaptations  for  children  as  Marvin's 
Adventures  of  Odysseus  and  French's  Heroes  of  Iceland; 
books  of  fiction  such  as  Pyle's  Men  of  Iron,  Kipling's  Cap- 
tains Courageous,  Spyri's  Heidi.  The  children's  collection 
should  be  kept  well  rounded  and  should  contain  a  fair  pro- 
portion of  good  poetry,  chosen  from  various  standpoints: 
all  that  is  childlike  in  subject  and  form,  much  that  is  be- 
yond the  average  child  but  appreciated  by  the  unusual 
one, — poetry  chosen  for  beauty  of  sound  or  charm  of  move- 
ment. 

Work  with  Schools. — The  library  must  keep  pace  with  the 
course  of  study  in  the  schools  and  develop  its  school  reference 

56 


work  with  teachers  and  pupils  by  proving  its  helpfulness. 
The  adult  collection  will  always  be  found  an  important 
help  in  reference  work.  The  duplication  of  certain  titles 
to  meet  the  school  demand  for  supplementary  reading 
should  be  made  only  as  far  as  is  possible  without  injustice 
to  the  children's  room  collection  as  a  whole. 

The  lending  of  sets  of  books  for  class  room  libraries  is 
best  begun  with  schools  at  a  distance  too  great  for  the 
children  to  walk  to  the  library  to  get  their  books.  These 
collections  are  made  up  of  about  fifty  books,  not  text  books 
nor  required  supplementary  reading,  but  books  following 
the  line  of  certain  parts  of  the  school  work  and  books  of 
imaginative  reading.  A  simple  method  is  usually  devised 
for  statistics  of  circulation,  such  as  a  large  card  for  each 
book  on  which  is  written  the  name  of  the  child  who  is  read- 
ing the  book. 

Story  Hours. — The  story  hour  is  an  ideal  way  of  present- 
ing the  classic  literature.  If  there  is  plenty  of  time  for  story 
hours  and  for  proper  preparation,  a  satisfactory  division  of 
children  and  of  literature  is  to  invite  the  younger  children  to 
hear  the  folk  tales  and  other  literature  suited  to  their  age,  but 
not  to  have  an  age  limit  excluding  older  children  who  would 
enjoy  coming  and  perhaps  have  never  heard  these  stories; 
the  children  of  ten  years  and  over  being  invited  to  hear 
Greek  and  Norse  myths  and  cycles,  such  as  the  sagas,  the 
mediaeval  legends,  ballads,  stories  from  Homer,  etc.,  and 
miscellaneous  stories  suited  to  their  age.  The  stories 
which  come  to  us  from  the  folk  literature  and  other  classic 
sources  are  to  a  great  entent  universal  in  interest  and  appeal 
to  all  classes  and  nationalities  of  children. 

One  story  hour  per  week  is  often  as  much  as  the  small  li- 
brary has  time  for  and  no  story  hour  at  all  is  preferable  to 
the  telling  of  stories  poorly  prepared,  or  told  by  one  without 
appreciation.  Poetry  hours  and  clubs  for  reading,  debating, 
travel  study,  etc.,  are  important  methods  of  interesting, 
inspiring  and  guiding  children.  The  love  of  poetry  may 
be  kept  alive  by  giving  it  orally  and  for  pure  joy  in  the 
story  hour,  reading  circles  or  occasional  readings  to  small 
groups. 

Visits  to  the  homes  of  the  children  for  one  reason  or 
another,  and  visits  to  the  school  rooms  to  tell  stories,  to 
remind  the  children  of  the  library,  or  merely  to  show  an 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  different  grades,  will  prove 

57 


fruitful  in  many  ways.  Short  printed  lists  of  books  on 
different  subjects  are  useful  in  suggesting  new  lines  of 
reading  to  children. 

It  is  the  privilege  of  the  librarian  to  enrich  the  lives  of  her 
youthful  patrons.  There  are  compensations  for  those  in 
charge  of  small  libraries,  where  a  trained  children's  libra- 
rian cannot  be  afforded,  in  opportunities  for  a  greater  share 
in  the  joy  of  working  with  the  receptive  thought  of  the 
child,  while  the  work  with  parents  and  teachers  as  well 
gives  deeper  insight  into  the  sympathy  for  the  needs  of 
the  children. 


58 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  LIBRARY. 

"There  is  no  problem  relating  to  the  equipment  of  the 
high  school  which  is  more  pressing  than  that  of  the  library," 
said  a  recent  editorial  writer  in  the  School  Review.  At 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  New  York  State  Library  Asso- 
ciation, in  1907,  Dr.  Downing,  State  Commissioner  of 
Education,  suggested  that  some  special  study  be  given 
to  the  question  of  high  school  libraries  and  a  committee 
was  later  appointed  to.  make  an  investigation  of  library 
conditions  in  high  schools  and  report  at  the  annual  meeting 
in  September,  1909.  A  questionnaire  was  sent  to  some 
eighty-three  schools,  but  only  a  few  of  the  replies  contained 
more  than  the  briefest  answers.  Twenty-five  out  of  the 
fifty-two  libraries  heard  from  were  in  charge  of  librarians 
who  had  some  library  experience  or  training.  Most  of 
the  librarians  had  been  appointed  to  high  school  positions 
since  1903.  The  first  appointment  of  a  high  school  li- 
brarian in  New  York  City  was  in  1900.  The  investigation 
as  a  whole  was  unsatisfactory,  inasmuch  as  the  high  schools 
reporting  were  not  representative  of  conditions  throughout 
the  State,  much  less  throughout  the  country  generally, 
and  because  the  replies  left  much  unsaid  as  to  the  actual 
use  of  and  interest  in  these  libraries. 

In  a  discussion  of  "The  difficulty  of  the  high*  school 
library,"1  Mr.  Edwin  White  Gaillard,  supervisor  of  work 
with  schools,  New  York  Public  Library,  claims  that  the 
problem  is  largely  one  of  money  and  deprecates  the  du- 
plication of  work  already  being  done  by  the  public  library. 
This  is  no  more  of  an  argument  against  high  school  libraries 
than  are  similar  objections  against  departmental  libraries 
in  a  university.  The  high  school  library  is  for  a  special 
kind  of  work — work  that  can  best  be  done  in  the  school 
building,  under  the  supervision  and  guidance  of  one 
familiar  with  the  special  needs  of  the  student.  Mr.  Gaillard 

lSchool  Review,  April,  1907,  vol.  XV,  pp.  245-253. 

59 


grants  that  much,  of  course,  may  be  learned  about  libraries 
and  library  methods  in  the  high  school  library,  but  claims 
that  the  library  habit,  the  habit  of  going  to  the  public 
library  for  all  sorts  of  information,  of  little  or  of  great 
interest,  cannot  be  acquired  from  the  high  school  library. 
This  is  a  point  which  cannot  be  conceded.  University  libra- 
rians are  familiar  with  a  similar  argument  against  technical 
departmental  libraries  to  the  effect  that  they  have  a  tendency 
to  make  the  technical  student  feel  that  there  is  no  need  of 
his  going  to  the  University  Library,  that  the  departmental 
library  answers  all  his  needs.  Experience,  however,  proves 
that  to  have  these  students  use  any  library  you  must  plant  it 
right  in  their  midst.  So  with  the  high  school  students:  give 
them  a  good  library  in  their  own  school  building  and  then 
see  that  they  use  it  properly,  for  this  is  a  part  of  modern 
education. 

In  these  days  when  high  schools  are  extending  their  work 
in  so  many  directions  and  when  books  must  be  provided 
for  supplementary  work  in  English,  in  history,  in  the  pre- 
paration of  debates,  and  in  other  subjects,  a  well-equipped 
library  is  a  necessity  in  the  modern  high  school.  A  motley 
array  of  old  text-books,  out-of-date  encyclopaedias  and 
miscellaneous  volumes  from  the  attics  of  well-meaning 
friends  of  the  institution  will  not  make  a  good  high  school 
library.  Upon  how  many  school  libraries  in  this  country 
can  former  pupils  look  back  as  did  Burne-Jones  upon  the 
little  school  library  at  Birmingham,  as  "that  blessed  insti- 
tution where  we  spent  many  blissful  hours."  The  failure 
of  many  school  libraries  is  due  to  a  lack  of  proper  care  and 
fostering  attention  after  they  have  been  established.  The 
library  is  there  out  of  deference  to  a  growing  public  sentiment 
in  favor  of  such  an  annex,  but  the  library  is  too  frequently 
left  to  run  itself,  or  the  responsibility  for  its  care  is  given 
to  some  teacher  already  overburdened  with  class-room 
work.  The  responsibility  ought  never  to  be  placed  on  the 
teachers,  or  at  least  not  on  one  who  is  doing  full  work  as  a 
teacher.  The  average  teacher,  if  given  charge  of  a  school 
library,  will  confine  her  efforts  to  seeing  that  the  rules 
are  obeyed,  that  books  are  brought  in  on  time,  and  that 
silence  and  order  are  preserved.  She  will  not  have  time 
or  energy  to  devote  to  the  building  up  of  the  library,  to 
instruct  the  pupils  in  its  use,  to  look  after  reference  work 
with  the  students,  nor  to  help  the  teachers  in  finding  needed 

60 


material.  "Disabuse  yourselves  of  the  notion  that  it  is 
teachers'  work,  and  a  way  out  of  the  difficulty  will  be  found,", 
says  a  recent  writer  in  the  Library  Journal.1 

The  school  library  differs  from  the  average  public  library 
in  that  it  is  usually  a  reference  library  first  and  a  lending 
library  only  so  far  as  the  use  of  its  books  outside  the  build- 
ing does  not  conflict  with  the  usefulness  of  its  service  to  the 
teachers  and  pupils  in  the  school  building. 

Duties  of  the  Librarian. — The  first  duty  of  the  librarian 
is  to  make  the  books,  photographs,  and  other  possessions 
of  the  library  available  by  a  simple  and  acceptable  system 
of  classification  and  cataloguing.  After  this  has  been 
accomplished  it  will  be  necessary  to  make  these  possessions 
known  to  the  teachers  and  pupils.  This  can  only  be  done 
by  one  who  is  familiar  with  the  material  and  trained  in 
its  use.  If  the  reference  work  is  done  by  an  untrained 
worker  it  is  a  case  of  the  blind  leading  the  blind.  A  teacher 
with  no  training  in  library  methods  will  not  go  to  another 
teacher,  known  to  be  similarly  deficient,  for  information 
in  regard  to  books,  and  the  pupils  will  get  comparatively 
little  real  library  help  from  one  who  is  primarily  a  class- 
room teacher,  untrained  to  meet  all  classes  of  readers  and 
answer  a  great  variety  of  questions. 

The  interested  librarian  will  be  on  the  lookout  for  any 
new  books  that  may  be  of  use  to  teachers  and  pupils;  she 
will  try  to  keep  a  balance  in  the  matter  of  books  for  the 
various  departments  of  study,  to  inform  herself  on  current 
events  and,  in  short,  make  herself  as  useful  in  all  lines  of 
high  school  work  as  is  possible  with  the  time  and  means 
at  her  disposal. 

Assistance  for  the  Librarian. — As  the  work  of  the  library 
grows  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  librarian  to  have  assist- 
ance of  some  kind.  The  arrangement  for  this  will  depend 
largely  upon  the  circumstances  in  the  given  school.  In 
many  schools  student  assistants  are  employed.  In  some 
cases  boys  are  hired-  at  a  small  sum  per  hour  to  give  their 
services  as  pages.  In  others  good  students  are  allpwed 
to  volunteer  for  library  work,  giving  one  hour  a  day  to  it. 
They  enjoy  the  work  and  find  their  enlarged  knowledge 
of  the  library  very  useful.  In  some  schools  the  librarian 
is  assisted  by  a  member  of  the  teaching  staff,  who  thus 
becomes  familiar  with  the  library  and  acquires  some  knowl- 

Wol.  XXXIII,  p.  136. 

61 


edge  of  reference  work  and  can  assist  the  pupils  in  various 
ways. 

Purposes  of  a  Library. — The  purposes  of  a  school  library 
should  be  not  only  to  provide  laboratory  material  for  the 
pupils'  work  in  literature  and  history,  to  enable  the  teacher 
to  instruct  them  in  the  use  of  books  as  sources  of  informa- 
tion, and  to  assist  the  teacher  in  other  ways,  but  also  to  instil 
in  the  pupils  an  interest  in  books  as  books,  to  cultivate 
a  taste  for  reading.  Too  many  high  school  graduates  have 
no  conception  of  a  book,  other  than  fiction,  as  anything 
but  a  task  or  a  text. 

The  high  school  library  should  not  try  to  compete  with 
the  public  library  if  there  is  one  in  the  same  town.  Litera- 
ture for  recreation  pure  and  simple  is  better  supplied  by 
the  public  library,  where  it  is  available  for  those  who  are 
both  below  and  above  the  high  school  age.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  if  there  is  nothing  to  interest  the  students  by 
its  innate  appeal,  if  everything  in  the  school  library  suggests 
lessons,  many  of  the  students  will  view  it  with  suspicion, 
and  avoid  it,  unless  sent  there  by  the  teachers. 

Teaching  the  Use  of  the  Library. — Most  pupils  when 
they  enter  the  high  school  are  ignorant  of  the  use  of  the 
simplest  and  most  common  reference  books.  They  do  not 
know  the  difference  between  a  table  01  contents  and  an 
index,  and  are  so  helpless  in  a  library  that  their  teachers 
hesitate  to  give  them  work  outside  their  text-books.  Even 
those  who  are  best  informed  can  be  helped  to  the  use  of 
books  which  will  be  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  them  in 
the  preparation  of  their  daily  lessons,  essays,  and  debates. 

Early  in  the  school  year  the  librarian  ought  to  nifeet  the 
new  students  and  explain  to  them  in  the  reading-room  the 
grouping  of  the  books  and  the  fundamental  principles  under- 
lying the  making  of  a  dictionary  card  catalogue.  The 
location  of  various  classes  of  reference  books  should  be 
pointed  out,  the  differences  between  a  dictionary  and  an 
encyclopaedia  explained,  and  the  various  types  of  both 
commented  upon.  The  pupils  should  be  shown  how  to 
use  "Poole's  Index"  and  the  "Reader's  Guide  to  Periodical 
Literature"  and  have  the  helpfulness  of  these  aids  clearly 
brought  home  to  them  by  concrete  illustrations  in  connec- 
tion with  some  practical  theme  work  or  preparation  for  a 
debate.  If  this  initial  visit  to  the  library  is  made  the  sub- 
ject of  a  required  paper  in  the  English  course  the  benefits 

62 


are  doubled.  The  pupils  can  be  assigned  problems  of 
various  kinds  involving  the  intelligent  use  of  tables  of  con- 
tents and  indexes,  and  familiarizing  themselves  with  a 
variety  of  reference  books.1  They  can  be  asked  to  fill  out 
a  call  slip  from  the  reference  in  the  card  catalogue,  take 
the  volume  to  the  delivery  desk,  have  it  charged  out,  return 
it,  see  it  discharged  and  put  back  in  its  regular  place  on  the 
shelves. 

Library  Instruction. — The  library  instruction,  in  order  to 
be  of  real  benefit  to  the  pupils,  should  be  made  a  part  of  the 
school  curriculum  and  be  given  credit  the  same  as  other 
work.  In  most  schools  where  it  is  given  it  is  counted  as  a 
part  of  the  English  work.  In  the  high  schools  of  Michigan 
the  time  given  to  the  library  work  varies  from  one  to  three 
exercises  for  each  of  the  grades.  The  instruction  is  given 
in  the  form  of  lectures  or  informal  talks,  after  which  the 
pupils  are  required  to  work  out  a  set  of  problems  on  reference 
books.  This  work  is  done  in  the  library  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  librarian.  The  completed  exercises  are  in 
some  schools  handed  in  to  the  librarian  and  in  others  to 
the  English  teacher,  but  the  credit  is  usually  given  the 
pupil  by  his  English  teacher.  The  talks  are  arranged  to 
suit  the  work  and  needs  of  the  different  classes.  Those  for 
the  ninth  grade  pupils  ordinarily  include  instruction  in  the 
use  of  dictionaries,  encyclopaedias  and  atlases,  and  the  use 
of  the  table  of  contents  and  indexes  in  reference  books. 
The  instruction  for  the  tenth  grade  takes  up  the  use  of  the 
card  catalogue,  magazine  indexes,  year-books,  and  special 
indexes.  The  upper  classes  may  be  given  practice  work  in 
comparing  the  value  of  different  reference  books,  in  learning 
to  get  references  from  various  sources  not  on  the  reference 
shelves,  and  in  the  use  of  some  of  the  government  publica- 
tions. 

Library  Courses. — One  of  the  best  library  courses  of  this 
kind  is  that  conducted  by  the  librarian  of  the  Detroit 
Central  High  School,  where  the  work  is  graded  to  correspond 
with  the  regular  grading  of  the  English  courses  in  that 
school.  The  librarian  has  a  graded  series  of  library  questions 
which  are  among  the  best  illustrations  of  this  kind  of  work 


!For  some  problems  of  this  sort,  see  "Modern  American  Library  Economy," 
by  John  Cotton  Dana,  Part  V,  "The  School  Department,  Section  2,"  "Course 
of  Study  for  Normal  School  Pupils  on  the  Use  of  a  Library,"  by  Marjory  L. 
Gilson. 

63 


for  high  school  courses  available  in  print.     We  give  speci- 
mens from  the  various  series  as  follows: 

I.  1.  Consult  the  indexes  of  poems  by  Holmes,  and 
give  the  pages  on  which  you  find  the  following: 
(a)  Poem  beginning,  "Listen,  young  heroes! 
Your  country  is  calling."  (b)  Poem  entitled, 
"Dorothy  Q." 

2.  Between  what  streets  in  our  city  does  870  Lafayette 

Street  come? 

II.  1.  Look  up  the  "Seven  Wonders  of  the  World"  in 
two  different  books.  Do  not  copy  them.  Name 
the  books  in  which  you  found  them. 

2.  In  what  work  of  literature  does  the  "Old  Man  of 
the  Sea"  appear?  In  what  reference  book  did  you 
find  it? 

III.  1.  Find  the  allusion  to  "Field  of  the  Cloth  of  Gold"  in 

two  different  books.     In  what  books  did  you  find 
it? 

2.  Use  the  card  catalogue  and  give  a  reference  for  the 
life  of  John  Greenleaf  Whittier. 

IV.  1.  (a)  Who  was  governor  of  Iowa  in  1906?     (b)  Where 

was  he  born? 

2.  (a)    Name    two    good   recent   encyclopaedias,     (b) 

Name  two  good  older  encyclopaedias. 

V.  1.  (a)  What  is  the  general  index  to  Government  pub- 
lications? (b)  How  often  is  it  published? 

2.  (a)  What  is  the  Congressional  directory?  (b)  Ex- 
amine it  and  name  any  one  reference  point  which 
interested  you.  (c)  What  is  the  Congressional 
record  ? 

VI.  Name  good  reference  books  under  the  following  heads: 
(a)  Classical  dictionary,  (b)  Gazetteer  of  the 
world,  (c)  Atlas  of  the  world,  (d)  Year-book 
for  current  history. 

There  is  an  almost  endless  variety  of  questions  which  can 
be  put  to  the  students  to  bring  out  points  in  connection  with 
reference  books.  They  can  be  asked  to  name  the  various 
kinds  of  dictionaries  in  the  library,  to  tell  which  is  the  latest 
issue,  to  look  up  the  same  word  in  each,  and  tell  the  differ- 
ences noted  in  the  treatment  of  the  word  in  question.  See 
whether  they  can  define  a  gazetteer,  a  .glossary,  and  a  con- 
cordance. Ask  them  where  they  would  go  to  find  a  picture 

64 


of  the  human  skeleton,  or  colored  plates  of  coats  of  arms 
and  flags  of  various  nations.  See  whether  the  word  copy- 
right means  anything  to  them. 

The  Teacher  and  the  Library.— "  The  position  of  a 
modern  librarian  in  a  high  school,"  says  Principal 
McAndrew,1  _of  the  Washington  Irving  High  School, 
New  York,  "seems  to  me  like  that  of  a  missionary  in 
a  heathen  country.  No  one  but  a  librarian  can  realize 
what  an  astounding  amount  of  ignorance  we  high  school 
teachers  exhibit  regarding  the  purpose  and  operation 
of  a  library.  Time  and  again  in  my  library  experience 
I  have  observed  teachers  searching  through  reference  books 
who  were  too  poorly  trained  to  look  in  the  table  of  contents 
and  too  proud  to  ask  for  help."  A  frank  confession  from 
the  teacher  is  good  for  the  soul  of  both  the  teacher  and  the 
librarian.  Certainly  the  classroom  teacher  must  inform 
herself  more  thoroughly  on  the  rudiments  of  library  methods 
if  she  is  to  work  in  successful  co-operation  with  the  school 
librarian.  Normal  schools  are  now  giving  instruction  in 
library  economy.  The  Oregon  Library  "Commission  has 
published  a  broadside  listing  under  forty-three  heads,  "Some 
things  a  teacher  should  know  about  books  and  libraries." 
The  list  has  been  reprinted  by  the  Michigan  State  Library 
Commission  with  slight  revision.  As  specimens  the  follow- 
ing may  be  cited : 

1 .  What  are  the  best  cyclopedias  ? 

2.  What  dictionaries  are  best  for  school  use  and  how  do 

they  differ? 

3.  What  books  can  you  consult  to  find  out  whether  cer- 

tain subscription   sets  urged  upon  the  district  by 
agents  have  any  value? 

4.  What  is  the  best  printed  aid  to  the  formation  of  a 

teacher's  professional  library? 

5.  Where  will  you  find  annual  summaries  of  the  books  on 

education,  with  notes  as  to  their  value? 

6.  What  U.  S.  public  documents  would  be  of  value  to  you 

in  your  school  work  and  how  may  they  be  obtained? 

7.  What  are  the  best  printed  lists  of  books  for  children 

and  how  much  will  they  cost? 

8.  What  are  the  best  graded  lists  of  children's  books? 

]In  an  address  before  the  library  section  of  the  National  Education  Associa- 
tion, Boston,  July  5,  1910. 

65 


9.  Where  can  you  get  notes  about  children's  books  that 
will  be  of  service  in  guiding  the  reading  of  the  chil- 
dren in  your  grade  ? 

10.  What  are  the  best  books  for  reading  aloud  in  your  grade  ? 

11.  What  are  the  best  collections  of  poetry  for  children? 

12.  What  books  may  be  the  best  stepping-stones  for  the 

boy  who  is  a  slave  to  the  "nickel  library"  habit? 

13.  What  simple,  accurate,  scientific  books  will  you  give 

to  the  boys  who  are,  or  may  become,  interested  in 
natural  science;  and  what  will  you  choose  for  those 
who  wish  to  identify  specimens  of  insects,  of  min- 
erals and  rocks,  of  birds,  and  of  flowers? 

14.  If  you  do  not  know  about  these  books  how  will  you  in- 

form yourself? 

15.  What  are  some  of  the  best  biographies  for  children  ? 

16.  What  are  some  of  the  good  books  of  travel  for  use  in 

geography  work? 

17.  How  can  you  find  what  magazine  articles  have  been 

written  about  any  subject  and  how  can  you  get 
these  articles  for  the  use  of  the  debating  society? 

18.  What  are  the  best  books  for  the  debating  society? 

19.  What  are  the  best  periodicals  for  children? 

20.  What  are  the  provisions  of  the  school  library  law  in 

regard  to  district-school  libraries? 

Value  of  Library  Instruction. — Such  library  instruction  as 
has  been  described  is  of  great  help  to  teachers  assigning 
work  to  pupils  and  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the  pupils 
themselves.  Without  it,  the  librarian,  teachers,  and  pupils 
are  handicapped  in  their  work  and  the  library  fails  of  its 
full  usefulness.  A  knowledge  of  how  to  use  a  library  will 
be  of  the  greatest  value  to  the  student  not  only  through 
his  high  school  course,  but  even  more  so  in  college,  if  he 
goes  that  far,  or  in  continuing  his  reading  and  self -culture 
through  the  means  of  the  public  library  when  he  discontinues 
his  academic  career.  To  be  able  to  use  books  effectively, 
to  know  where  to  find  exact  information  when  wanted,  is 
a  kind  of  knowledge  that  comes  from  familiarity  with 
reference  books  and  the  use  of  books  as  sources.  Such 
an  acquaintance  with  books  is  of  infinitely  more  value  in 
later  life  than  knowing  a  few  text-books  from  cover  to  cover. 
The  place  in  which  to  lay  the  foundation  for  this  proper  and 
intimate  acquaintance  with  books  as  tools  is  in  the  school 
library  and  the  period  is  that  of  the  high  school  age. 

66 


CHAPTER  X. 

SUGGESTED   READINGS   IN    THE    ENCYCLOPEDIA 
BRITANNICA. 

The  new  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  will  prove  a  rich 
mine  for  the  diligent  library  assistant  seeking  information 
on  topics  connected  with  books  and  libraries.  While  the 
index  volume  suggests  some  of  the  topics  in  question,  much 
of  this  suggestion  is  done  by  means  of  cross-references  and 
it  is  worth  while  to  call -special  attention  to  and  briefly 
summarize  the  articles  of  interest  to  library  workers.  One 
of  the  first  things  worthy  of  notice  is  the  fact  that  the 
articles  are  written  by  men  who  are  recognized  authorities  in 
their  various  fields;  such  scholars  as  Sir  E.  Maunde  Thomp- 
son, late  chief  librarian  of  the  British  Museum,  Alfred  W. 
Pollard  and  Cyril  Davenport,  also  of  the  British  Museum, 
H.  R.  Tedder,  librarian  of  the  Athenaeum  Club,  and  editor 
of  "The  Library'  and  J.  Duff  Brown,  librarian  of  the  Islington 
Public  Libraries  and  author  of  the  "Guide  to  librarianship " 
and  other  valued  treatises  on  library  economy. 

Manuscripts. — Beginning  with  the  Manuscript  the  stu- 
dent can  read  in  Sir  E.  Maunde  Thompson's  article  a  de- 
scription of  the  development  of  the  ancient  manuscript, 
particularly  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  leading  on  to 
the  mediaeval  manuscripts  of  Europe,  and  bringing  their 
history  down  to  the  invention  of  printing.  The  writer 
treats  of  the  materials  used,  the  forms  of  the  manuscript 
book  (the  roll,  the  waxen  tablet,  the  codex,  the  quires)  the 
mechanical  arrangement  of  writing,  punctuation,  division 
of  words,  abbreviations  and  contractions,  writing  imple- 
ments and  inks.  Those  who  wish  to  pursue  the  subject 
further  can  turn  to  the  same  writer's  article  on  Palaeogra- 
phy, the  science  which  takes  cognizance  of  writings  of  a 
literary,  economic  or  legal  nature,  done  generally  with  a 
stile,  reed  or  pen,  on  tablets,  rolls  or  codices.  This  paper 
traces  the  history  of  Greek  and  Latin  paleography  from 
the  earliest  written  documents  in  those  languages  which 
have  survived,  touching  especially  on  Greek  papyri  and 

67 


vellum  codices,  the  Roman  cursive  and  literary  hands,  and 
the  various  national  hands  derived  from  the  Roman  hand. 
It  is  therefore  concerned  with  the  fundamentals  of  the 
written  records  of  Western  Europe.  Manuscripts  with 
illustrations  form  a  class  by  themselves  and  are  described  by 
this  same  high  authority  under  Illuminated  Mss.  Here 
are  outlined  the  chief  features  of  the  Byzantine,  Franco- 
Lombardic,  Celtic  (with  special  mention  of  the  Lindisfarne 
Gospels,  of  which  a  full-page  colored  facsimile  is  given) 
Carolingian,  Anglo-Saxon,  Norman,  German,  Italian  and 
Spanish.  There  are  separate  paragraphs  on  the  character- 
istics of  the  illumination  of  the  13th,  14th  and  15th  cen- 
turies. 

Paper. — In  the  first  section  of  the  articles  on  Paper 
Sir  Maunde  Thompson  discusses  variqus  theories  as  to  the 
origin  and  early  history  of  this  commodity.  For  an  account 
of  the  writing  material  made  from  Papyrus  the  author 
refers  us  to  his  treatment  of  that  subject,  where  he  gives 
an  account  of  the  reed,  its  cultivation  and  wide-spread 
use,  its  manipulation  into  the  article  of  commerce  and  the 
use  of  the  latter  by  scribes.  The  second  section  of  the 
article  on  Paper  treats  especially  of  its  manufacture  and  is 
written  by  J.  W.  Wyatt,  with  an  interesting  supplementary 
note  on  India  Paper  by  W.  E.  G.  Fisher.  The  name  "India" 
was  "originally  given  in  England,  about  the  middle  of  the 
18th  century  to  a  soft  absorbent  paper  of  a  pale  buff  shade, 
imported  from  China,  where  it  was  made  by  hand,  on  a 
paper-making  frame  somewhat  similar  to  that  used  in 
Europe.  The  name  probably  originated  in  the  prevailing 
tendency,  down  to  the  end  of  the  18th  century,  to  describe 
as  'Indian'  anything  which  came  from  the  far  East  (cf. 
Indian  ink).  This  so-called  India  paper  was  used  for 
printing  the  earliest  and  finest  impressions  of  engravings, 
hence  known  as  'India  proofs'  ". 

The  Book. — As  pointed  out  by  Alfred  W.  Pollard  in  his 
article  on  the  Book,  there  is  but  a  slight  difference  in  general 
appearance  between  a  manuscript  written  in  a  formal 
book-hand  and  an  early  printed  copy  of  the  same  work 
printed  in  the  same  district  as  the  manuscript  had  been 
written.  The  type  used  by  the  early  printers  was  as  a  rule 
based  on  handwriting  considered  appropriate  for  use  in  a 
manuscript  copy  of  the  same  work.  The  development  of 
the  colophon  into  the  title-page  (a  subject  on  which  Mr. 

68 


Pollard  is  an  authority)  is  briefly  summarized.  Other 
characteristics  of  some  of  the  early  printed  books,  such  as 
their  size,  their  paper,  their  illustrations  and  their  bind- 
ings are  noted.  The  main  features  of  the  books  of  each 
century  from  the  16th  to  the  19th  are  succinctly  charac- 
terized in  separate  paragraphs,  and  the  comparative  cost 
of  books  at  various  periods  is  illustrated  by  citations  of 
prices  of  well  known  works. 

Incunabula. — Another  article  by  Mr.  Pollard  treats  of 
.Incunabula.  After  summarizing  the  researches  in  this  field 
the  author  grants  that  it  is  literally  true  that  the  output 
of  the  15th  century  presses  is  better  known  to  students 
than  that  of  any  other  period.  The  subject  has  been  pur- 
sued with  what  some  have  thought  to  be  excessive  and 
misplaced  zeal.  American  librarians  are  naturally  not  so 
much  interested  in  incunabula  as  are  their  European  brethren, 
but  our  larger  libraries  and  especially  our  universities  are 
coming  to  have  a  fair  representation  of  the  work  of  some 
of  the  early  printers  and  one  notable  collection,  that  made 
by  Dr.  Copinger,  has  come  to  this  country,  having  been  pre- 
sented to  the  Philadelphia  Free  Library  by  Mr.  P.  A.  B. 
Widener. 

Printing. — The  article  on  Printing  by  C.  T.  Jacobi,  the 
author  of  a  practical  treatise  on  the  subject  which  has  gone 
through  four  editions,  is  confined  to  the  work  of  the  print- 
ing press  and  is  divided  into  two  parts:  (1)  history  of  the 
printing  press  and  (2)  modern  presses.  Those  who  do 
not  have  a  mechanical  bent  will  probably  not  get  much 
out  of  these  sections,  but  towards  the  end  of  the  article  is 
some  general  information  on  printing  which  ought  to  prove 
of  interest  to  every  library  assistant. 

The  history  of  printing  is  treated  at  great  length  under 
the  caption  of  Typography  by  J.  H.  Hessels,  author  of 
"Gutenberg;  an  historical  investigation."  This  article  dis- 
cusses in  turn  the  manuscript  period,  the  earliest  attempts 
at  printing,  block-printing,  early  wood-engravings,  block 
books,  early  printing  with  movable  type,  the  controversy 
concerning  the. invention  (this  with  great  fulness),  of  early 
types  and  their  fabrication,  and  ends  with  a  sketch  of  some 
printers  who  flourished  after  1500.  A  second  section, 
entitled  Modern  Practical  Typography,  in  part  by  John 
Southward,  author  of  a  "Dictionary  of  typography,"  deals 
with  the  material  characteristics  of  type,  the  sizes,  and 

69 


varieties  of  face,  the  manufacture  of  type,  composition 
and  imposition,  signatures  and  forms,  typesetting  machines, 
electrotyping  and  stereotyping. 

Proof  Reading,  by  John  H.  Black,  who  was  press  reader 
on  the  new  volumes  of  the  10th  edition  of  the  Britannica, 
and  John  Randall,  is  of  concern  to  all  of  us  who  have  to  do 
with  "the  art  preservative  of  all  the  arts."  Proof  reading 
seems  to  be  practiced  less  and  less  in  these  days  of  type-setting 
machines,  but  being  informed  on  the  subject  will  help  us 
in  insisting  on  good  work  along  this  line. 

Illustrations. — That  the  information  concerning  zinc  cuts, 
half-tones,  three  color  processes,  monotypes,  electrotypes, 
photolithotypes,  and  all  other  photo-mechanical  methods 
of  reproduction  should  be  included  in  an  article  under 
Process  will  probably  strike  American  readers  as  a  Briti- 
cism,— but  the  facts  are  up  to  date  and  reliable.  The 
writer,  Mr.  Edwin  Bale,  art  director  for  Cassell  and  Co., 
grants  that  the  term  "process"  is  a  somewhat  unfortunate 
one  inasmuch  as  it  is  descriptive  of  nothing  in  particular. 
The  article  discusses  in  turn  the  various  classes  under  the 
three  generic  heads:  (1)  relief,  such  as  zinc  etching,  half- 
tones, including  those  in  color;  (2)  intaglio,  such  as  photo- 
gravures and  monotypes,  where,  as  in  the  old  copper  plates, 
the  printing  surface  is  sunk  below  the  surrounding  portions 
of  the  plate;  (3)  planographic,  like  lithographs,  collotypes, 
phototypes  and  heliotypes,  which  are  all  printed  from  flat 
surfaces.  The  distinction  between  these  various  kinds  of 
illustrations  is  not  easily  grasped  by  the  beginner,  but  no 
one  whose  constant  business  is  with  books  ought  to  be 
ignorant  of  the  difference  between  a  woodcut  and  a  half- 
tone, a  mezzotint  and  a  chromo-lithograph,  a  copper  plate 
and  a  cleverly  devised  imitation  made  from  a  zinc  block, 
and  yet  I  have  seen  a  good  many  library  school  graduates 
to  whom  the  whole  matter  was  so  much  Greek.  How  can 
you  buy  illustrated  books  intelligently  if  you  don't  know 
whether  the  illustrations  are  what  they  pretend  to  be? 
Better  read  up  further  in  Mr.  Frank  Weitenkampf's  "How 
to  appreciate  prints"  and  study  carefully  the  Newark  ex- 
hibit, "The  features  of  the  printed  book,"  the  first  oppor- 
tunity you  get.  Meanwhile,  make  yourself  familiar  with 
the  general  information  given  by  Laurence  Housman  in 
his  article  on  Illustration.  Leaving  aside  the  illumination 
of  manuscripts,  the  art  of  illustration  in  its  modern  sense 

70 


goes  back  to  the  invention  of  printing.  Many  incunabula 
were  enriched  with  drawings  by  artists  of  the  French, 
German,  Spanish  and  .Italian  schools.  Many  engravings 
on  both  wood  and  copper  by  such  men  as  Diirer  and  Holbein 
were  made  to  adorn  the  printed  page.  The  art  of  illustration 
has  always  been  influenced  by  the  prevailing  pictorial  art. 
French  engraving  was  influenced  by  the  painting  of  Watteau. 
English  illustrations  of  different  periods  show  the  large 
following  which  such  men  as  Reynolds  and  Hogarth  were 
accorded.  Bewick  laid  the  foundations  for  a  school  of 
English  wood  engraving  which  persisted  until  the  invention 
of  mechanical  methods  of  reproduction  came  into  vogue. 
The  cheap  magazines  created  a  great  demand  for  illustra- 
tions that  could  be  inexpensively  produced,  and  the  files 
of  illustrated  periodicals  thereby  became  one  of  the  best 
places  in  which  to  study  the  work  of  wood  engravers  and 
illustrators  whose  work  lent  itself  to  reproduction  in  cheap 
form.  To  those  who  know  how  to  use  them  aright  this 
gives  a  new  interest  to  some  of  the  Poole  sets  which  have 
of  late  years  been  retired  to  out  of  the  way  places,  such 
as  Once  a  week,  Good  words,  London  Society,  Sunday  at 
home,  for  in  the  pages  of  these  journals  are  found  illustra- 
tions by  some  of  the  best  men  of  the  school  known  as  "of 
the  'sixties." 

The  technical  developments  of  the  art  of  illustration 
form  the  subject  of  a  brief  supplementary  article  by  E.  F. 
Strange  of  the  South  Kensington  Museum.  This  is  con- 
cerned with  the  history  of  experiments  leading  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  present  day  half-tone  block  and  color 
printing. 

Bookbinding  is  treated  by  Cyril  Davenport,  who  sketches 
the  history  of  his  subject  from  the  earliest  times  when 
protective  covers  were  used  over  the  smaller  Assyrian 
tablets  of  about  the  8th  century  B.  C.,  through  the  days 
of  Latin  diptychs  (the  earliest  prototypes  of  the  modern 
book)  to  the  time  of  rolls  of  papyrus,  vellum  or  paper.  The 
device  of  folding  vellum  into  pages  was  first  used  about 
the  5th  century  of  the  Christian  era,  and  the  sewing  of 
these  signatures  by  fastening  the  threads  around  a  strip 
of  leather  or  vellum  at  right  angles  to  the  line  of  backs  was 
the  next  stage  in  the  development  of  the  modern  book. 
Then  it  was  found  that  the  bands  needed  protection  and 
so  strips  of  leather  were  fastened  down  the  backs,  and  in 

71 


order  to  prevent  the  tendency  of  the  vellum  leaves  to  curl, 
strong  wooden  boards  were  put  on  each  side  and  the  leather 
back  was  drawn  over  the  boards  far  enough  to  make  a 
hinge,  thus  giving  us  the  half-bound  books  of  the  middle 
ages.  The  next  steps  were  to  cover  not  only  the  back  but 
also  the  sides  of  the  book  with  leather  and  then  to  decorate 
the  leather.  The  art  of  gold  tooling  spread  quickly,  and 
heraldic  designs  were  used  for  ornamentation  from  the 
days  of  Edward  VI.  The  deterioration  of  the  quality  of 
modern  book  paper  and  badly  prepared  leathers  have  been 
serious  drawbacks  to  good  bookbinding,  but  there  has 
been  a  revival  of  interest  in  the  art  for  its  own  sake  during 
recent  years.  The  introduction  of  stamped  cloth  binding 
about  1822  developed  into  the  case  binding  of  today,  for 
which  elaborate  machinery  has  been  perfected. 

Book-plates  are  thought  of  by  many  librarians  as  being 
unworthy  of  their  serious  attention,  but  a  mere  glance  at 
the  article  by  Egerton  Castle  should  convince  the  unitiated 
as  to  the  value  of  at  least  a  rudimentary  knowledge  of  the 
subject.  Mr.  Castle's  stud}'  of  "English  book-plates" 
appeared  twenty  years  ago,  but  his  interest  in  ex-libris 
has  apparently  not  flagged  despite  the  demands  of  novel 
writing  on  his  time,  which  is  a  tribute  to  the  fascinations 
of  these  little  marks  of  ownership.  Among  the  illustrations 
are  reproduced  the  earliest  known  movable  book-plate,  one 
belonging  to  the  monastery  of  Buxheim,  dating  from  about 
1480,  and  the  oldest  English  plate,  that  of  Sir  Nicholas 
Bacon,  1574.  Good  examples  are  given  of  armorial  plates 
of  various  periods,  of  the  Jacobean,  the  Chippendale  or 
rococo,  and  the  pictorial  where,  as  in  the  Bewick  plate, 
the  motif  is  a  bit  of  landscape  or,  as  in  the  plate  by  E.  D. 
French,  a  library  interior. 

Bookselling.— Even  those  librarians  who  think  that  they 
know  something  about  buying  books,  can  with  decided 
advantage  read  the  article  on  Bookselling.  The  modern 
system  goes  back  almost  to  the  invention  of  printing.  The 
earliest  printers  were  also  editors  and  booksellers  but  as  they 
were  not  able  themselves  to  dispose  of  the  entire  output  of 
their  presses  they  had  agents  at  most  of  the  universities. 
The  religious  dissensions  following  the  Reformation  created 
a  great  demand  for  books  and  there  were  troublous  times 
for  both  printers  and  booksellers.  In  the  English  copy- 
right act  of  1709  it  is  ruled  that  if  any  person  shall  think 

72 


the  published  price  of  a  book  unreasonably  high  he  may 
make  complaint  to  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  to 
certain  other  persons  named  who  shall  thereupon  examine 
into  his  complaint  and  if  well  founded  reduce  the  price, 
and  any  bookseller  charging  more  than  the  price  agreed 
upon  shall  be  fined  for  every  copy  sold.  Unfortunately 
this  law  was  never  enforced.  Were  there  such  a  court  of 
appeal  today  it  would  have  a  full  docket !  In  the  paragraph 
on  bookselling  in  this  country  it  is  pointed  out  that  half 
'the  names  in  the  "so-called  American  catalogue  of  books" 
printed  between  1820  and  1852  are  British,  the  works  of 
Scott,  Byron,  Moore,  Southey  and  Wordsworth  having 
been  printed  here  without  the  payment  of  any  royalties. 
Through  the  growth  of  intercourse  with  .England  and  the 
appearance  on  the  literary  horizon  of  native  writers  of 
ability,  a  decided  change  was  gradually  produced  in  the 
American  book  trade  and  the  conditions  here  became  more 
like  those  of  Europe. 

Publishing. — The  subject  of  bookselling  is  treated  still 
further  in  the  article  on  Publishing  which  is  in  a  way  a 
continuation  of  it.  It  gives  more  historical  detail  con- 
cerning the  early  stages  of  this  once  combined  business, 
with  a  good  deal  on  that  topic  of  interest  to  librarians  and 
the  book-buying  public, — the  net  price  question.  The  early 
separation  of  publishing  from  bookselling  is  touched  upon, 
and  the  emergence  of  publishers  as  a  separate  class  is  out- 
lined. The  transitory  phenomenon  of  the  man  of  letters 
assisting  the  publisher  in  an  advisory  capacity  as  to  the 
suitability  of  manuscripts  submitted  for  publication  is  an 
interesting  chapter  in  the  expansion  of  the  publishing 
business.  Publishing  being  today  largely  a  commercial 
affair,  the  literary  reader  has  in  the  main  been  supplanted 
by  the  man  of  business  with  an  aptitude  for  estimating 
how  many  copies  of  a  given  book  can  be  sold.  One  London 
publisher  has  of  recent  years  paid  no  salary  to  his  reader 
but  has  given  him  a  small  commission  upon  every  copy 
that  was  sold  of  any  book  published  on  his  recommendation. 
What  is  wanted  by  the  publisher  is  only  too  often  not 
literary  quality  but  commercial  value. 

Bibliography. — The  article  on  this  subject  by  Mr.  Pollard, 
is  only  concerned  with  bibliography  as  the  art  of  examina- 
tion, collation  and  description  of  books, — their  enumeration 
and  arrangement  in  lists  for  purposes  of  information,  and 

73 


further,  with  the  literature  of  this  subject,  i.  e.  with  the 
bibliography  of  bibliography.  The  examination  and  colla- 
tion of  books  to  discover  whether  they  are  perfect  and  in 
their  original  condition  are  especially  important  in  the 
case  of  rare  books,  like  incunabula  and  first  editions,  piracies 
and  spurious  imprints.  Photographic  forgeries  of  books 
can  usually  be  detected  by  the  tendency  of  all  photographic 
reproduction  to  thicken  letters  and  exaggerate  every  kind 
of  defect.  Some  of  these  imitations  are,  however,  very, 
cleverly  made  on  paper  of  the  period  of  the  original  and  so 
are  very  hard  to  distinguish  from  the  latter. 

Book  Collecting  is  sympathetically  discussed  by  Mr. 
Pollard.  The  statement  that  the  ultimate  rarity  of  books 
varies  in  the  inverse  ratio  of  the  number  of  copies  originally 
printed,  though  recognized  as  a  somewhat  sweeping  general- 
ization, is  conceded  to  be  not  far  from  the  truth.  No  one 
thinks  of  collecting  what  is  easily  procurable  at  the  moment. 
So  long  as  the  anticipation  exists  that  a  book  will  continue 
to  be  easily  procurable  the  collecting  impulse  is  restrained. 
Book  collecting  as  a  hobby  is  analyzed  and  the  history  of 
some  notable  private  collections  given.  As  Thomas  Watts 
once  said,  the  main  office  of  private  collections  is  to  feed 
public  institutions. 

Libraries. — This  brings  us  to  the  article  on  Libraries, 
written  jointly  by  H.  R.  Tedder  and  J.  Duff  Brown,  an 
article  of  about  65,000  words  and  deserving  of  more  than 
a  passing  notice.  It  is  the  latest  conspectus  of  library 
history  and  activity  and  if  printed  separately  might  have 
made  a  book  of  several  hundred  pages  which  would  have 
been  duly  reviewed  in  all  the  professional  journals.  The 
fact  that  it  is  in  the  Britannica  insures  it  even  wider  publi- 
city and  in  view  of  its  excellence  we  feel  that  it  is  worth 
while  calling  to  the  particular  attention  of  librarians. 

The  general  treatment  divides  the  subject  into  Ancient 
libraries  (3  pages)  Mediaeval  period  (3  pages)  and  Modern 
libraries  (26  pages).  The  first  section  has  an  archaeological 
rather  than  a  professional  interest,  but  the  mediaeval  period 
is  of  importance  to  us  because  in  it  is  found  the  real  origin 
of  modern  library  organization.  A  rule  of  St.  Benedict 
required  the  monks  to  borrow  a  book  apiece  and  read  it 
straight  through.  The  books  in  the  Benedictine  monas- 
tery were  kept  in  armaria,  or  chests;  whence  the  name 
of  the  Benedictine  librarian,  armarius.  The  Carthu- 

74 


sians  are  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  to  lend  books  for 
use  outside  the  monastery.  The  library  at  Cesena  in 
Northern  Italy  is  still  preserved  in  its  original  condition. 
The  Lauren tian  library  at  Florence  was  designed  after 
monastic  models. 

The  development  of  modern  libraries  is  first  illustrated 
by  examples  from  the  United  Kingdom,  by  sketching  the 
history  of  the  British  Museum,  and  other  English  Govern- 
ment libraries,  by  outlining  the  growth  of  the  university 
libraries  of  Great  Britain,  incidentally  touching  on  the 
libraries  of  learned  societies,  clubs,  muncipalities,  and 
winding  up  with  a  section  on  British  library  administration. 
All  this  is  admirably  done,  and  deserves  careful  reading. 
The  authors  suggest  several  reforms  and  question  some 
practices.  For  example,  they  feel  that  it  would  be  an 
advantage  from  an  administrative  standpoint  if  the  pro- 
fessional certificates  of  the  Library  Association  were  adopted 
by  the  Civil  Service  Commissioners  as  a  compulsory  require- 
ment in  addition  to  their  own  examination.  They  evidently 
favor  some  form  of  "registration,"  the  mooted  topic  before 
the  British  Library  Association.  The  official  recognition 
of  a  grade  of  properly  trained  librarians  would  in  the  opinion 
of  these  writers  tend  to  improve  the  methods  and  efficiency 
of  the  government  libraries,  generally  conceded  to  be  behind 
the  municipal  libraries  in  organization  and  administration. 
Jt  is  pointed  out  that  the  reading  of  fiction  in  British  munici- 
pal libraries  is  much  less  than  commonly  believed,  being 
only  24  percent,  even  after  due  allowance  is  made  for  the 
reading  of  fiction  in  current  magazines.  Attention  is  called 
to  the  gradual  disappearance  of  the  unclassified  municipal 
library,  although  in  1910  there  were  over  340  not  closely 
classified,  but  only  arranged  in  broad  numerical  or  alpha- 
betical divisions.  The  replacement  of  printed  catalogs  in 
book  form  by  card  catalogs  and  other  forms,  like  the  sheaf 
catalog,  easily  kept  up  to  date,  is  noted  as  growing  in  favor. 
The  great  increase  in  the  freedom  of  access  allowed  in  lending 
libraries  is  considered  the  most  striking  tendency  of  recent 
years. 

In  the  section  devoted  to  the  United  States,  the  Library, 
of  Congress  naturally  comes  first,  and  is  characterized  as 
"the  most  active  government  library  in  existence."     The 
rise  of  the  state  and  university  libraries  is  sketched,  and 
something  is  said  about  the  proprietary  and  endowed  li- 

75 


braries  of  the  country.  That  these  writers  are  not  of  the 
group  who  have  been  saying  unkind  things  about  us,  witness 
the  following :  "In  no  country  has  the  movement  for  the  de- 
velopment of  municipal  libraries  made  such  progress  as  in  the 
United  States;  these  institutions .  .  .  are  distinguished  for  their 
work,  enterprise  and  the  liberality  with  which  they  are  sup- 
ported." There  is  an  interesting  comparison  of  the  cost  of 
maintenance  of  English  and  American  libraries.  East  Orange, 
N.  J.  (population  35,000)  spends  $12,000  on  its  library 
system,  while  Dumfries  in  Scotland  (population  23,000) 
spends  $2,500.  The  city  of  Cincinnati,  with  practically 
the  same  population  as  the  borough  of  Islington,  London, 
spends  more  than  three  times  as  much  money  on  its  library 
system,— $130,000  as  contrasted  with  $41,000.  It  would 
be  instructive  to  compare  the  work  done  in  these  particular 
cities.  The  general  statement  is  made  that  the  provision 
of  books  is  more  generous  in  the  American  libraries  than 
in  those  of  Great  Britain,  but  that  more  reading  is  done  in 
the  latter.  The  authors  point  out  that  work  with  the 
schools  and  children  generally  is  more  cultivated  in  the 
libraries  of  the  United  States  than  elsewhere.  They  are 
cautious  in  their  statements,  but  one  can  read  the  doubt 
in  their  minds  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  "story  hour"  in  the 
library.  "The  preponderance  of  women  librarians  and 
their  natural  sentimental  regard  for  children  has  tended 
to  make  this  work  loom  rather  largely  in  some  quarters, 
but  with  these  exceptions  the  activity  on  behalf  of  children 
is  justified  on  many  grounds.  But  above  all,  it  is  manifest 
that  a  rapidly  growing  nation,  finding  homes  for  thousands 
of  foreigners  and  their  children  annually,  must  use  every 
means  of  rapidly  educating  their  new  citizens,  and  the 
public  library  is  one  of  the  most  efficient  and  ready  ways 
of  accomplishing  this  great  national  object." 

While  the  remainder  of  the  article,  devoted  to  libraries 
in  non-English  speaking  countries,  is  of  less  immediate 
interest  to  the  average  library  assistant,  it  should  be  read 
with  care  for  the  perspective  it  will  help  to  give.  We 
should  know  more  of  our  historical  background  and  here  is  an 
excellent  place  to  get  a  bird's  eye  view  of  the  whole  library 
movement.  The  account  of  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale 
and  other  libraries  of  Paris,  is  very  complete  and  contains 
references  and  statistics  not  generally  available.  The  de- 
scription of  the  Be'rlin  libraries  is  less  full,  but  satisfactory. 

76 


The  Italian  libraries  come  in  for  their  share  of  attention, 
and  the  article  ends  with  accounts  of  the  library  movement 
and  the  noteworthy  libraries  in  Latin  America,  Spain  and 
Portugal,  the  Netherlands,  Russia,  China  and  Japan.  The 
article  as  a  whole  will  bear  reading  several  times  and  can 
be  consulted  constantly  with  full  reliance  upon  its  detailed 
information. 

In  addition  to  the  above  there  are  articles  which  have 
a  special  interest  for  different  classes  of  library  workers. 
The  cataloger  will  want  to  read  what  is  said  on  the  Index, 
where  a  high  compliment  is  paid  "American  enterprise" 
for  the  modern  device  of  the  card  catalog  cabinet,  and  the 
Library  of  Congress  for  its  printed  card  work.  The  assist- 
ant in  the  periodical  room  ought  to  read  the  article  on 
Periodicals  by  Mr.  Tedder,  which  deals  chiefly  with  publi- 
cations devoted  to  general  literature,  literary  and  critical 
reviews,  and  magazines  for  the  supply  of  miscellaneous 
reading.  It  takes  up  in  historical  sequence  the  British 
quarterlies,  monthlies,  weeklies,  modern  magazines  and 
cheap  publications;  then  those  of  the  United  States,  Canada 
and  other  British  possessions,  France,  Germany,  Austria, 
Switzerland,  Italy,  Belgium,  Holland,  Denmark,  Norway, 
Sweden,  Portugal,  Greece,  Russia  and  other  countries. 
Under  the  caption  of  Caricature  Mr.  M.  H.  Spielman 
writes  entertainingly  concerning  the  popular  illustrated 
periodicals  of  Great  Britain,  France,  Germany  and  the 
United  States.  In  the  latter  section  he  sketches  the  rise 
of  Thomas  Nast,  discusses  the  influence  of  Life,  and  the 
work  of  C.  D.  Gibson  and  A.  B.  Frost.  In  his  paragraph 
on  Cartoon  Mr.  Spielman  says  that  John  Leech's  drawing 
in  No.  105  of  Punch  was  the  first  caricature  to  be  called  a 
"cartoon."  After  a  while  Punch  dropped  the  latter  word 
but  the  public  took  it  up.  The  information  concerning 
Newspapers  has  been  garnered  by  several  hands.  Mr. 
Hugh  Chisholm,  the  editor  of  the  present  edition  of  the 
Britannica,  and  for  some  years  connected  with  the  London 
Times,  writes  the  first  installment  entitled  "General  con- 
siderations" giving  the  historical  development  of  the  news- 
paper (particularly  the  English)  from  the  Oxford  Gazette 
of  1665,  through  the  days  of  the  "leading  article"  by  promi- 
nent writers,  down  to  the  time  of  the  "news  agencies." 
The  present  status  of  journalism,  with  its  well  developed 
commercial  side,  is  passed  in  review,  and  the  influence  of 

77 


American  journalism  is  duly  set  forth.  The  cheapening 
of  paper,  which  within  one  generation  dropped  from  22 
cents  to  as  low  as  14  cents  a  pound,  is  shown  to  have  had 
the  obvious  tendency  of  increasing  the  size  of  newspapers 
and  reducing  the  price.  The  attitude  of  some  English 
newspaper  publishers  towards  news  of  the  turf  is  instructive 
to  American  librarians  who  have  read  of  the  "blocking 
out"  of  sporting  tips  deemed  necessary  in  some  English 
libraries.  The  simultaneous  growth  of  the  cheap  newspaper 
throughout  the  civilized  world  is  commented  upon  by 
Lord  Northcote  in  two  interpolated  paragraphs,  which  are 
followed  by  some  remarks  on  Illustrated  Papers  by  Mr. 
Clement  K.  Shorter.  The  remainder  of  the  article  by  Mr. 
Chisholm  consists  of  a  very  full  account  of  British  news- 
papers (in  which  certain  portions  of  the  article  by  Edward 
Edwards,  of  library  fame,  in  the  earlier  edition  of  the  Bri- 
tannica,  have  been  incorporated)  followed  by  an  historical 
sketch  of  those  of  the  United  States,  of  France,  Germany 
and  other  European  countries. 

Much  of -the  information  presented  by  Prof.  E.  G.  Raven- 
stein  under  the  caption  Map  is  of  immediate  interest  to  all 
of  us.  It  treats  in  turn  of  the  classification  and  scale  of 
maps,  delineation  of  the  ground,  selection  of  names  and 
orthography,  measurement  on  maps,  relief  maps,  map 
printing,  history  of  cartography,  and  topographical  surveys. 
The  reading  of  what  Mr.  H.  R.  Tedder  has  to  say  on  Pam- 
phlets may  make  the  library  assistant  who  has  to  handle 
them  more  kindly  disposed  toward  this  class  of  publications. 
There  is  nothing  like  knowing  the  history  of  a  subject  to 
incite  interest  in  it. 

The  bibliographies  appended  to  each  article  will  enable 
the  inquiring  and  ambitious  assistant  to  pursue  further 
such  phases  of  the  questions  involved  as  may  make  the 
stronger  appeal;  but  the  source  of  the  greatest  satisfaction 
is  that  the  workers  in  the  smaller  libraries,  where  but  little 
of  the  literature  of  librarianship  is  to  be  found,  can  find 
within  the  covers  of  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  a  con- 
spectus of  authoritative  statements  on  many  matters  of 
professional  interest. 


78 


INDEX 


Adams,  Hannah 

American  Library  Association. 

Analyticals 

Assistants   

Astor,  John  Jacob 

Astor,  William  B 

Astor  Library 

Author  entry 

Bates,  Joshua 

Bibliography 

Bigelow,  John 

Billings,  Dr.  John  Shaw 

Binding. . 

Book 

Book  binding 

Book  buying 

Book  collecting 

Book  selection 

Book  selling 

Booklist 

Book-plates 

Boston  Athenaeum 

Boston  Public  Library 

Bostwick,  A.  E 

Bradshaw,  Henry 

Burton,  John  Hill 

Cards,  catalog 

Care  of  books 

Caricature 

Carnegie,  Andrew 

Cataloging 

Child,  Mrs.  Lydia  Maria 

Children,  work  with 

Circulation 

Classification, 

Cloth 

Cogswell,  Joseph  G 

Collecting 

Crawford,  Esther 

Cutter,  Charles  A 

Dana,  John  Cotton 

Dewey,  Melvil 

Documents 

Duch£,  Rev.  Jacob 

Edwards,  Edward 

Encyclopaedia  Britannica 

Everett,  Edward 

Foster,  W.  E 

G?illard,  Edwin  White 

Garnett,  Richard 

High  school  library 

Hitchler,  Theresa 

Illuminated  manuscripts 

Illustrated  papers 

Illustrations 

Incunabula 

India  paper 

Instruction.  .  .  . 


Page. 

8 

13 

35-36 

.17,61-62 

9 

10 

9 

33-34 
9 

73-74 
11 
12 

.51-52,  71 

68-69 

71-72 

. 20,  23-24 

74 

20-23 

72 

22 

72 

8 

8 

20 
16 
10 

36-37 

52-53 

77 

12 

33-38 
8 

54-58 

49-50 

25-32 

52 

10,  12,  22 
74 
37 

29,  35 

41-42 

29-32 

46-49 

7 

16 

67-78 
9 

22 
59 
10 

59-66 

37-38 

68 

78 

70-71 
69 
68 
63 


79 


Page. 

Leather 51-52 

Lenox,  James 11 

Lenox  Library 11 

Librarian,  duties  of 16-17,  61 

Libraries 74-77 

Library  instruction 63-65,  66 

Library  Journal 13 

Library  staff 17 

Library  work 17-19 

Loan  systems 49-50 

Logan,  James 7 

McAndrew,  William 65 

Manuscripts 67 

Maps 78 

Michigan 14—15 

Mitchell,  Donald  G 10 

New  York  Public  Library 

Newspapers 77—78 

Oregon  library  commission 65 

Organization  of  a  library 16 

Palaeography 67 

Pamphlets 78 

Paper 68 

Papyrus 68 

Periodicals 77 

Philadelphia  Library  Company 7 

Poole's  Index 45-46 

Printing 69 

Process 70 

Proof  reading 70 

Public  documents 46-49 

Public  libraries,  spread  of : 13 

Publishing 73 

Putnam,  Herbert 19 

Reader's  Guide 4.5-46 

Reference  books 42-45 

Reference  work .' 39-42 

Ridgeway  Library 7 

Rules 55 

Rush,  Dr.  James 7 

St.  Louis  Public  Library 20 

School  libraries 59-66 

Schools,  work  with 56 

State  documents 

State  library  commissions 

Stevens,  Henry 

Story  hours 

Subject  entries 34-35 

Sumner,  Charles 

Teacher  arid  the  library 65 

Ticknor,  George 9 

Tilden,  Samuel  J 

Traveling  libraries 

Trustees 

Typography 

Use  of  the  library 62-63 

Vattemare,  Alexandre 

Winsor,  Justin 16 

Winthrop,  Robert  C 


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